Rockstar has created the single most immersive Wild West game yet, with an intelligently-written story, a compelling core cast of characters, highly-engaging scenarios and a diverse open world to explore. The visuals are also truly stunning, with a substantial amount of detail put into each environment and character model, not to mention the extraordinary lighting techniques.

Home Sweet Home does an excellent job of creating a solid foundation for fear, yet overly relies on cheap jump scares to carry the horror. Despite its flaws, however, the game utilizes its gameplay strengths to create a fun survival horror game with unique Thai personality. Home Sweet Home is a worthy addition to any horror fan’s playlist and leaves us asking for more.

LEGO DC Super-Villains doesn’t change the core LEGO game formula much, but does its best to work within that formula and deliver a fresh experience through its storyline. Those who love the franchise’s blend of fast-paced brawling and light puzzle-solving will be in for a treat even if few risks are taken with the core gameplay. Luckily, the outstanding cast of characters and their top-notch voice work keep the game enjoyable to play, watch and listen to from start to finish. Beyond the voice work, the soundtrack is also outstanding and a pleasant surprise.

The experience of playing this title is one of roller coaster highs and lows. At first, it seems like the new bad game everybody should check out. It’s so gormless in its stupidity that it’s endearing. Through extended play, those scales drop from the eyes and the blissful ironic joy gives way to tedium as the player prays to their deity of choice that they don’t run into a bug that renders the scenario unwinnable. With fixes to the pathfinding and spawning, Heavy Fire: Red Shadow would be an honest to goodness hilarious arcade style classic, intentionally or not. As it stands, only the most patient should climb behind the gun.

As commendable its combat and enemy design may be, Sinner: Sacrifice for Redemption‘s reliance on templates and tired tropes inevitably wears down what little (though effective) originality it houses.

Those who still fancy the original GameCube version might not be interested if they can still readily play it, but the addition of the challenging new hidden mansion, ability to challenge bosses and local multiplayer can make it well worthwhile for those wanting to try something new. Luigi’s Mansion is still a great classic and fits in fairly well with all the other wonderful ports on 3DS.

The Missing: J.J. Macfield and The Island of Memories does in the end succeed in telling an intriguing tale complimented with effective and palpable means of progressing it. It doesn’t always find the right way to present it, but as odd a pitch this masochistic, self-inflicted series of mechanics in a puzzle-platformer might seem, it’s no surprise that Swery and developer White Owls are the ones to not only make it work, but convince its players more so to see this human and engaging tale through to the very end.

Irrespective of its technical flaws, the studio can hold its head high with its effort on the penultimate episode, creating the perfect springboard for Louis’ story to reach the studio’s apex of storytelling in its finale.

Warriors Orochi 4 is successful in maintaining the essence of the series while introducing new gameplay mechanics, making it a definite step in the right direction for the evolution of the series.

There’s no other title with quite the same approach as Starlink has taken and it’s easily the best integration of toys to life that has been done so far.

The battle royale mode is slick, tense and the most exciting addition to Call of Duty in years. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is a solid entry in the franchise thanks to Blackout and Zombies, and though multiplayer may not having any exciting new features, there’s still plenty of fun on offer. This Call of Duty can safely be declassified.

There’s no doubt that WWE 2K19 is the best series offering of this generation. With the Daniel Bryan Showcase, the narrative-based Career Mode and the 2K Towers to keep players coming back, these should answer the previous cries from fans that the games got boring. On top of that, WWE 2K19 offers the best visuals in the series and possibly the best player models in any sports game to date.

Super Mario Party is a welcome comeback for the series that seemingly plays it safe with its modes, but still manages to be fun. The best way to sum it up what exactly is missing would be a lack of focus, as it feels a little bit like the teams were scattered and didn’t get together to discuss how to make each mode a little more in-depth. It still itches that party-game urge that Mario Party fans have been looking for and will continue to be wonderful to play for a good while to come.

428: Shibuya Scramble is clearly the child of Spike Chunsoft as it brings together some of the best features from Zero Escape and Danganronpa into a new title. Yet, it manages to forge a totally distinct identity from both those titles. The ridiculous sense of humor and over-the-top drama is hard to tear away from. The biggest complaint is simply that, as an extremely long visual novel, its text options are not as fully featured as they should be. Simply put, 428: Shibuya Scramble is unlike any other visual novel out there.

Pig Eat Ball is a crazed monster of action and creativity, more than a little bit gross, but hugely entertaining to balance it out.

Disgaea was and still is a great game with solid mechanics and an enjoyable cast of characters, but this remaster will mainly be for those with the deepest of nostalgia for 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.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is not a perfect game and the tech issues in particular are fair grounds for complaints. Even with its faults, however, the positives greatly outweighs its flaws, though some old school Assassin’s Creed fans may be in an uproar over some of the more drastic changes to the traditional formula. Despite its issues, this is a worthwhile odyssey to embark on.

Suffer the Children is an unsatisfying conclusion to Clementine’s journey, temporary or otherwise, as both she and Telltale Games have seen much higher highs over the years. The evolution of the core combat makes up for the lack thereof in the season’s plot, which feels unnecessarily hurried even during the slower moments of the episode. After playing this second episode, it’s hard not to be left wanting more, as Clementine deserves a better resolution to her multi-season adventure, even if it ends up being as depressing as the fate of the developer that created her.

FIFA 19 falls short of crowning EA the title of undisputed champion of the soccer world, though it’s the right stepping stone for the next installment to be bold enough to push the franchise in a new direction.

Transference is a novel concept with with adequate execution. It’s intended to be played in VR for the greatest impact, so those with multiple platform options should factor that into the decision process of choosing which one to go with. The story is fascinating and fans of horror will most likely find an enjoying and disturbing experience. The short length is a double-edged sword, though, as it can be comfortably played in VR in one sitting but is ultimately a very short game. Being story driven, the simplistic gameplay is just interactive enough to keep the player engaged, making Transference a worthwhile descent into madness to take once but offers little reason to come back for more.

Despite the absence of Max and Chloe, Sean and Daniel rise to the occasion and create a lasting impression by the end of the opener. Players will feel invested in their relationship and experience a touching narrative that will captivate them from start to finish. Episode 1: Roads is undoubtedly the best opener in episodic gaming to date and also Dontnod’s finest hour with the Life Is Strange series so far.

Creed: Rise to Glory is an experience unlike any I’ve ever had with a video game. While not a boxing simulation, the technology that powers the game is fun and addicting. With each passing match, players will get better and have a better understanding of what it takes to land punches that count. The PVP has a ton of potential, but unfortunately it needs a lot of work. Because the fighting mechanics work so well, though, Creed: Rise to Glory is a reason to get in on virtual reality.

With its wonderfully-orchestrated aesthetic, together with a surprisingly well-written and likeable cast of characters, though the game is not without its momentary frustrations, lingering legacy issues and unflattering textures, Valkyria Chronicles 4 on the whole marks a more-than-welcome return to form for one of last-generation’s most striking RPGs.

Besides some of the same nagging issues with the franchise, the portions that got upgraded truly shine. RPM Technology is no joke as the results are seen on the ice. Gameplay is fast and fun and the AI helps complete the experience. CEHL is extremely fun with a good bit of variety, but could use some more depth when compared to The ONE in NBA Live 19. The unified progression system that is here is quick and allows styles to be easily adjusted. Having 200 NHL Legends is fantastic if they were included in other ways outside of Ultimate Team. All the nitpicking gets thrown out the window once you hop on the ice, though, as NHL 19 is fun and exciting in action.

The titles themselves are solid choices as any fan of beat ’em ups from the ’80s and ’90s can attest, but missing titles like Alien vs. Predator, Cadillacs and Dinosaurs, The Punisher and the other titles mentioned above prevent this from being the definitive collection. Missteps aside, the quality of the seven games that are included make this a worthwhile acquisition for fans of the genre.

Forza Horizon 4 is an outstanding evolution of not only the Forza franchise, but the open world racing genre as a whole. Bolstered by an in-depth and varied roster of vehicles and race types, seamlessly executed multiplayer, a stunning world to explore that is altered by truly game-changing seasons, hundreds of on-road challenges and collectibles, and a nearly endless amount of customization for races, cars, characters and more, Forza Horizon 4 proves that Playground Games still has plenty left in the tank for their racing series.

NBA 2K19 continues the series’ legacy for offering the best basketball simulator on the market thanks to refined gameplay and a truly immersive presentation. The modes featured this year have their ups and downs, with the MyCareer mode featuring a story worth playing through despite a frustrating protagonist and a heavy dosage of microtransactions, and some complimentary modes that rarely go above what is expected of them for better and worse. Fortunately, the core basketball action at the center of NBA 2K19 is stronger than and just as enjoyable as it’s ever been, featuring intense matches that should please both experienced and casual players alike for another NBA season’s worth of deep, fast-paced gameplay.

NBA Live 19 continues to trend in the correct direction in terms of overall success. The product on the court plays a fun and excellent game of basketball thanks to Real Player Motion. It might not be as detailed and sim-focused as NBA 2K, but it offers all the options needed to compete. In terms of career modes, nothing touches The One. Varying ways to make your player better while playing online with or against other players is fun. It’s also not behind a micro-transaction wall, either. The One, however, is still where the money is and inevitably is leaving the actual NBA modes an afterthought. Players still want an innovative Franchise Mode.

Zone of the Enders 2 The 2nd Runner: Mars is a great recreation of a game that was amazing back in its day, and while not all of it stands up to the test of time, more than enough does to make it worth hopping in to a mech and lighting up the skies with burning robot shrapnel.

Taking in the picture that Arcade Islands Volume One paints for itself as a whole, this isn’t a very good game. There’s enough that more than half is a mix of filler, retreads and just plain bad games. When one gets more granular, though, the value proposition begins to appear. The fun titles that can be appreciated as is would warrant between one to five dollars on their own. Adding those together exceeds the asking price. When factoring in a better than average use of PlayStation and Xbox’s metagame in the form of trophies and achievements, and the fact that it’s a safe title to introduce the youngins’ to video gaming as a concept, there’s a good reason for it to exist.

Destiny 2: Forsaken presents Destiny 2 with its much-needed reset. The campaign is compelling enough thanks to its excellent boss design, though Uldren lacks the history to be a strong antagonist. The new locales are a joy to explore and provide a nice change in pace compared to the vanilla worlds. Gambit is an exciting new mode, but, like the Blind Well, is heavily dependent on what kind of teammates you have. Destiny 2 needed something to save it and Forsaken bought it a new lease on life.

While SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy has the potential to be a fun hunk of cheese and fanservice, ultimately it relies too much on the game’s premise to carry things. The core tag team gameplay isn’t anything bad – rather fun and unique, even – but extremely short matches, a lack of variety and uneven AI means that said gameplay never achieves its full potential. Only the most diehard SNK fans may want to pick this one up, and even then, odds are you’ve seen these femme fatales done better in both gameplay and sex appeal in previous fighters.

NASCAR Heat 3 is a fun and entertaining stock car racing game that needs to take more steps towards offering a simulation for racing fans. Opening up an eSports division should encourage the cream of the crop to represent the real life sport in a virtual world. Champions of other racing games have literally gone on to win great things. The Career Mode is deep and engaging and the Xtreme Dirt Series is an excellent addition to the series. The visual and audio issues are something that need an update, but there’s enough new content that the fans of this series will really enjoy.

There is fun to be had and there are much worse anime titles out there, but there are also much better ones. Dedicated Naruto fans looking for fast-paced, gravity defying multiplayer beat ’em up action need look no further, but for those looking for a worthwhile single player experience or multiplayer with voice chat can skip this one.

Sadly, Labyrinth of Refrain is a game far too convoluted with illusionary depth to be considered wholly enjoyable. With a dispensable story, poor mid-game communication (that often feels like a deliberate attempt to waste player time) and a hefty number of interfaces requiring a fair amount of cleaning up, Nippon Ichi’s attempt to alternate from their usual Disgaea forte, though intriguing in a few areas, ends up being frustrating and cumbersome to the point of cancelling out the enjoyment it initially creates.

Shadows: Awakening provides an excellent starting point for players new to the Heretic Kingdoms saga. Rich dialogue, ambiance and lore give life to the unique parallel system. Being able to swap between the Shadow realm and the mortal world unlocks new possibilities within the game and makes for an excellent concept. A lack of gameplay balance and other technical issues keep Shadows: Awakening from reaching its full potential. It can be said that this is a case of an excellent concept suffering from a less-than-excellent execution. Fans of the isometric RPG genre may still find the title enjoyable for what it is, as it creates a streamlined RPG experience with ample content to enjoy.

Donut County presents a simple concept to players: collect objects to make a hole larger until the entire stage is clear. Done poorly, no one would remember the experience whatsoever. Developer Ben Esposito turns something mechanically simplistic into a joy via smart design. The adorable world inhabited by colorful characters is something we desperately need more of in games. Donut County might not be a long experience, but it’s one that players can’t help but cherish.

Despite keeping an open mind with the title, its concept is flawed in its execution and it lacks a sense of identity and purpose for its characters and story. What seemed like a title that could reinforce the reason not to judge a book by its cover proves to be the exact opposite in almost every aspect.

Konami will be able to appease the PES fanbase with PES 2019. The improvements to the visuals brings the game to life at times. With over 400 teams and 10,000 players, the hardcore football fan has a lot to marvel over. While losing the Premier League license hurts, Konami hopes adding some other major regional leagues will help. Lacking the licenses makes the game less appealing, but the player selection makes myClub a good mode to go with, even if it’s currency-based. PES 2019 still plays a very good game of football, but needs a bit of modernization.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider’s prioritization of exploration and stealth coupled with a more reflective plot ends Lara’s origin story on a more human note, which is strengthened by the remarkable presentation.

Even as a relative newcomer to the sim game space, I found myself enjoying my time with Two Point Hospital. Minor bugs and functionality wishes aside, one can do pretty much everything they need to in order to succeed here. Information is easy to find for the most part; construction is easy to learn and handle, and there’s plenty of optional depth here for those who want it. Put it all together with a pleasing art style and entertaining comedic stylings, and the result is a simulation game that just about anyone can have fun with.

Swinging across Marvel’s version of Manhattan not only looks good thanks to the beautiful lighting and attention to detail, but it has never felt so good either, being a relaxing and peaceful experience. Unfortunately, nothing is without its faults, as controls can be a bit finicky, and like all open world games, you’ll find occasional graphical anomalies. That’s not mention the side quests are a little lacking. This seems like a perfect fit to tell stories of lesser known or lower profile Spider-Man villains, but among the various side quests in the campaign, there’s only one that fits the bill. Regardless, Insomniac Games perfectly captures Peter Parker’s comical bravado, all while establishing a world ripe for its own unique expansion. In the end, Marvel’s Spider-Man is the most realized Spider-Man game yet.

Planet Alpha creates an amazing atmosphere thanks to its visual and audio design.

Morphies Law is the rare multiplayer game these days where the offline mode is the vastly superior option. While one may be able to recommend the game based on solo strength alone, the online issues need TLC. But even outside of that, a small number of equally small maps hinders what is otherwise a unique premise that has the potential for a fun and insane shooter with a ton of customization options. There’s enjoyment to still be had here, but you may be wishing for the game to morph into something better.

The Golf Club 2019 brings improvements to the table including the PGA Tour license and a Career Mode, but that should be taken with a grain of salt as these features are severely lacking. The most important aspect of the game is that the golf mechanics and atmosphere are great, even though the gameplay could be more approachable. With 2K now producing the game, things could change in the future for the franchise, and more courses will be added at some point. The Golf Club 2019 features a lot of positive and raw aspects with potential.

Strange Brigade is one of those difficult games to review, the one where for every positive thing you have to say about it, there’s a downside related to or accompanying it in some way or another. But in the end, what we have here is still some classic shooter action best enjoyed with friends, with enough eye-catching style and various challenges to potentially keep players coming back for more. So much like the pulp stories it aims to emulate, one could say that it’s corny and flawed in several aspects, but still an enjoyable romp that can be worth checking out under the right circumstances.

With its tight controls in full tow, The Messenger is a fantastic debut from a studio that may play deeply on their sole influence but, crucially, find the means to push beyond mere imitation to create something aesthetically fresh. A stellar platformer and one many will remember for some time.

Dragon Quest XI is still one of those 100 hour RPGs that deserve the attention. It may falter in some spots, but it shines brightly in others. There’s no better time to get back into the slime-slaying business.

Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate is simply one of the best entries the series has to offer. It opens up a slew of content without feeling overwhelming and gameplay is more varied than ever with tons to do every single step of the way.

These are epic adventures and can now be enjoyed on modern-day hardware for the first time. Anyone who loved them before should get them as soon as possible to prepare for Shenmue III, while newcomers to the series have a fantastic starting point to get fully caught up on Ryo and his adventures.

Yakuza Kiwami 2 is the best remake yet for the series and the absolute best way to enjoy the franchise’s second entry. It’s a must-buy for any Yakuza fan and also makes a fine starting point thanks to its thorough recap of the first game.

Developer Serenity Forge might not get away with the whole artistic storytelling approach in the backdrop, but up front, The King’s Bird — while not without some unnecessary frustration to begin with — does deliver, where it matters, on its challenge and integration of physics to end up a satisfying precision-platformer overall.

Little Dragons Café first appears as though it requires constant attention to every little detail, but actually makes for a relaxing time. Exploration is well paced with each step further getting more creative and exiting, and managing the café is simple without feeling overly stressful. It’s a laid back title that is easy to get absorbed in and focus for long hours, but also makes for a wonderful time to pop into every once in a while and just explore what it has to offer. Little Dragons Café makes for a memorable, sweet journey that any person can pick up and enjoy without worry.

Exactly the kind of game a sequel should be in terms of its gameplay. Everything that worked in the first is back, but there’s more added to the foundation.

Done Running is proof that Telltale still has plenty of ideas to innovate and reinvigorate the adventure genre, where even small changes including new camera perspectives and an improved presentation can go a long way, even if the story hasn’t quite found its footing yet. There’s plenty of time for the season’s plot to turn itself around and wrap up Clementine’s journey on a fitting note, and she deserves it after all the character’s been through, but the promising changes from every other perspective seems to indicate good things to come for the remaining three episodes.

Fire Pro Wrestling World is the best entry in the longest-running wrestling game franchise. It combines the modern era of New Japan Pro Wrestling with a gameplay style that does not only that company, but many others justice with its diversity. The learning curve may be tough on newcomers in theory, but the training and Fighting Road modes ensure that you never feel too out of your depth even if you haven’t played a Fire Pro game before. Fire Pro Wrestling World is a must-buy for any fan of New Japan or pro wrestling as a whole.

Every aspect of Evergarden’s design is linked to multiple other parts, balancing challenge and opportunity into a single puzzle-y mass that makes perfect logical sense once you figure out the patterns. And even if the current round doesn’t work out as planned the next game is another chance to figure it out, with no clock and no pressure beyond the curiosity of what other secrets may be hiding in the forests of Evergarden.

F1 2018 brings the complete Formula One experience to your cockpit. Featuring the new rule changes, a new handling model and a deeper Career Mode, racers are in for a different experience over F1 2017. The biggest gripe is with the A.I., which would most likely see some improvements as there is a patch due at launch. Cars shine beautifully and player models are the most realistic the series has seen. Having the F1 television graphics help complete the overall Formula One experience. Codemasters has established its own branch of racing simulation with F1 2018.

Players are instead transported to a world where a unique, riveting story awaits them, with twists lurking around different corners and insightful commentary on a whole variety of topics. While the developer is able to achieve so much success with its story, it does fall short on the introduction of a core mechanic that stops the gameplay from becoming repetitive. But that’s not enough to stop players from reaching State of Mind’s climactic ending, though.

Much like Contrast before it, We Happy Few shows off plenty of potential with its original and engaging world from a team whose passion and heart clearly shines through. Unfortunately, the random nature of the world ultimately hampers this ambition, and is held back further by lackluster stealth and inconsistent dialogue.

The continued issues with online play (least on Nintendo’s platform) as well as Ghost Town’s wilful dismissing of a properly-adapted single-player alternative will only go to dwindle the potential audience once more. An audience whom might not see much significant change from what is still essentially an unaltered recipe from previous, but will still find immense joy in partaking in when part of a group. Which is a shame, given how well-realized Overcooked 2‘s core, emergent style of play truly is.

WarioWare Gold is a perfect example of how to take the insanity of microgames from the past and shove them into one packed setting while still having each one stand out. With tons of different ways to play and a multitude of things to unlock, Gold is filled to the brim with wonderful content that’s easy to pick up and play at any time. Anyone who has enjoyed the previous WarioWare titles will have an utter blast in Gold, as it brings back all the good of previous entries while making itself a staple of how the series can continue to grow from here.

Chasm is one of the finest Metroidvania games ever created. While the game’s developmental journey was longer than expected, the wait was well-worth it. Every aspect of the game shows that a great deal of care was put into it and the attention to detail for the core gameplay pays off in spades. There are many different ways to play Chasm and all of them result in an unforgettable experience. It plays like a dream, looks stunning and features an atmospheric soundtrack that makes every new room both exciting and terrifying.

The biggest disappointment about Ripples is that technical issues overshadow many of its positives. It’s an episode that is pure frustration not for its story, but for not fulfilling its true potential and arguably falling short of the standards expected from any gaming title, whether it’s triple-A or indie.

Necessary changes to gameplay and Franchise Mode make it feel fresh and the improved visuals help complete the updated experience. There are still some issues with gameplay on the defensive side of the ball, but having the Real Player Motion helps in adding new ways not only to move the ball down the field, but celebrate. Longshot: Homecoming is an entertaining sequel while Madden Ultimate Team introduces new ways to play. Hardcore Madden fans will appreciate the changes this year and skeptics need to give it a try before judging this as just another roster update.

A must play for anyone who is a fan of retro arcade style beat ‘em ups, especially if they can appreciate a game that doesn’t take itself too seriously. The character and enemy designs are visually interesting and the gameplay mechanics make playing through this tongue-in-cheek adventure enjoyable. The enormous character roster and multiple game modes provide a good value, but the biggest problem lies in the nature of the genre. The gameplay is repetitive even with the different fighting styles of each character, which can get old quickly, especially on single player.

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.

Hakoniwa Explorer Plus is entertaining but isn’t extraordinary once you get past the novelty factor of the half-naked killer demon girls. For RPG standards the story and gameplay are enjoyable but shallow. The game doesn’t provide much of a challenge, and while that may sound like a criticism, it isn’t that detrimental if the player just wants to see the different areas and bosses and enjoy the humorous moments.

While there are problems with the structure and overall narrative, there’s no denying that Octopath Traveler is an alluring adventure and one of the better RPGs on the Nintendo Switch.

Just like his grand adventure, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is simply a delight to experience in the unique and puzzling world he explores. Those who had the original on Wii U might not get as much enjoyment the second time around due to the small amount of new content, but this is a must-have puzzle title for anyone who hasn’t picked it up before or is just desperate to have it on the go. While it may just be a port with only a few new additions, hopefully there is more to come from the adventurous Toad in the future on the journey to collect all the treasure around.

Tempest 4000 is a fantastic conclusion to Llamasoft’s work on the games and easily holds its place amidst the classics of Atari’s flagship arcade series.

Rifter is a fantastic neon-synth action platformer with a gorgeous, distinctive style and a rewarding challenge. It can be a bit merciless at times, especially when chasing after success on the bonus levels, but the tools to win are available even if they can be a bit tricky to access sometimes. You’ll need to bring your A game to wring the most from Rifter, and the reward is a lightning-fast 2D adventure that sees frustration turn to a satisfying mastery as one goal after another eventually falls to a combination of persistence and growing skill.

Pick a pair of favorite weapons and a modifier for a standard run, attack a hell-mode ship with just a single gun and scavenge what you can along the way or maybe investigate the weird mystery ships that sometimes turn up to see what new oddity it will bring. Each run is a pure action romp through the heart of a robot-infested ship, packed so many bullets, lasers and other mechanical assault critters that it’s a wonder the aliens could lug it all to our solar system.

Overall, Lost on Mars does have several moments of amusement, and while it might not achieve a true level of greatness it is entertaining enough to warrant a visit to Mars when someone needs a change of scenery from Montana.

The world of Shining Resonance Refrain is a joy to explore and the option to go through it a second time with villains on your side adds a good reason to play through again.

The strange thing about The Lost Child is that, despite its many, many flaws, it still manages to be entertaining by virtue of being a bog standard, but competent, first-person dungeon crawler with a great pace of progress. It’s not worthy of scorn, nor praise, managing to cut right down the middle of the road.

Having the ability to change from a split screen to a shared screen in single-console multiplayer would have been nice too. Other than that, Mario Tennis Aces looks and sounds great, and is something any Mario Tennis fan will enjoy.

The Sims 4: Seasons connects Sims more than ever to their player counterparts, and now that Sims have holidays to look forward too and birthdays marked down on the calendar, there’s a foundation in their lives where there once was none. Playing with Seasons gives a certain sense of play that wasn’t their before and much like each passing day I can’t wait for the changes Seasons brings to my Sims’ lives.

It’s a highly-replayable adventure and something that anyone who craves more depth in a game’s story should try out. It may not be a long tale, but this pre-amble to what’s to come for LiS showcases that there is plenty of life in the franchise no matter who is in it thanks to the rock-solid storytelling foundation on display.

There’s an overabundant amount of things to do and it will keep your time consumed. What it lacks, however, is that hook to want to play it. The driving and physics are bland and the narrative is dreadful.

The puzzles are a blast, the graphics and environments are jaw-dropping, and little bonuses such as the challenge levels provide a good incentive to keep coming back for a while. It may not hit the same emotional heights as before, but the latest outing for our stringy heroes is one that cements them as the stars of a classic franchise in the indie gaming scene, so don’t miss it.

The game simply puts players into a spell thanks to engaging gameplay, a killer soundtrack and hypnotic visuals. Anyone who has never experienced the series before is in for a treat. Existing fans should be prepared to fall in love with Lumines all over again.

With a wonderful cheerful story and plenty of enjoyable moments, Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido is a near-instant classic for the puzzle genre and an absolute treat to play.

For those who have been playing The Elder Scrolls Online consistently, Summerset is only a natural progression to continue with, but for people who have taken a break and are looking for an excuse to get back in the game or people who have been curious to start, this is a great place to resume or start an adventure.

Pokémon Quest is a wonderful experience that is easily played in short bursts and feels properly at home on Nintendo Switch in particular as it makes great use of the tablet-like aspect of the system. Those interested in this cute cube-styled world should give Pokémon Quest a try as it’s truly a delightful treat for every type of Pokémon fan.

The new features, particularly the Resolve system, are cool, but the title still manages to feel incomplete. For those elite, it’s best to wait until the next version.

BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle doesn’t do anything to revolutionize the crossover tag team fighting system, it simply sticks to a formula that has worked before and does a great job with it.

Onrush is the finest off-road racer ever made. The core gameplay is fast-paced and does everything that made the Motorstorm series great, but with far more refined controls.

With a wide assortment of characters to consider and a brilliantly-integrated soundtrack to match, though some tasks can feel like unwanted busywork, for those patient and willing enough to invest the time and effort, Vampyr is undoubtedly another rewarding and impressive feat of gameplay and narrative fusion that Dontnod have treated us to.

With its charming and unique pinball mechanics that get subtly, cleverly more complex and elaborate the further you progress — as well as a charming art-style present in its environments and characters alike — what it lacks in some grandiose narrative or punctuating tone, Villa Gorilla more than make up for with a gameplay loop that excels on its originality — garnering a wide smile to one’s face in the process.

A must-buy fighting game compilation. For anyone who has enjoyed the franchise before, it puts a large percentage of the franchise’s highest-quality games in one collection and it’s a great way to catch up and see what all the fuss was about for newcomers. As great as it is, the collection could have easily been better simply by including more versions of franchise-favorites like Alpha 2 to provide a more all-encompassing experience.

Dillon’s Dead-Heat Breakers is easily the finest the series has yet to offer players. It does away with the clumsy touch controls while offering more variety in gameplay and streamlined battles that perfectly fits the new approach.

PixelJunk Monsters 2 is straightforward enough to be enjoyed by casual gamers, but trying to perfect it on the highest difficulty will provide a worthwhile challenge to the hardcore gamers.

Not just a cult-classic, but a classic full-stop.

This may not be a necessary purchase for somebody who still has their Sega Genesis collection from the last console generation, but this is a great assortment of Sega Genesis games and at least one of these collections should be in a every retro game fan’s library.

Dark Souls Remastered is a good reminder how far we’ve come in the last seven years. This is almost all nostalgia, with the potential to grab newer players and show them where the series more or less started. It’s beginning to feel a little dated, with adjustments to combat and movement from newer games not being implemented, but there’s still the sense of overwhelming gratification when playing, not to mention intense strategy.

Though it comes off as heavy-handed at times, Detroit tells an endearing story that verges on the profound, diving deep into the nature of humanity itself. It proves that interactivity and focused storytelling aren’t mutually exclusive and that the two can enhance each other given a proper degree of talent behind the scenes.