A marvelous and unique delight of a murder mystery, one you’ll have walked away from feeling shocked over what exactly you just saw play out in the story, satisfied over the challenging puzzles you’ll have solved to help out each masked guest, and dazzled over the vibrant and mesmerizing aesthetics. Well, I say you’ll have walked away from it, but there’s still a good chance you’ll still go back if you feel you may have missed any secrets those luxurious and deadly walls may have held. Cavalier Studios have crafted one of this year’s most refreshing adventure games that is absolutely to die for.

When Slime-san works as intended, it’s an incredibly clever platformer, filled with endless challenges that constantly come up with new riffs on its themes. Its controls are tight and the levels take advantage of this, relying on the precision that comes from a simple move-set to make levels that are incredibly tricky but not unfair to get through.

Bullet Soul is a fairly basic arcade shooter that gets by with hyperactive energy and lots of pretty explosions. It’s not the most technically impressive conversion available, being locked to 1280×720 even when running fullscreen, and the options menu is fairly bare-bones, but once I shrugged and moved on I had a great time blasting through the levels. Enemy and bullet patterns are well designed, each level is one set-piece after another and the action makes up for the nonexistent plot. Bullet Soul is a solid workhorse of a shooter, getting the job done with flair and style, and as fun to approach for seasoned veterans chasing score as it is for new players looking to dip their toes into a genre that’s frequently known for being unforgiving.

Graceful Explosion Machine is a white-knuckle shooter that barely allows for a moment’s rest as swarms of weird alien creatures arrive one after the other to crowd you off their planet, never quite realizing that the denser they swarm, the higher the multiplier can get. They’re not too bright that way, but with a little careful weapons management, it will all work out fine.

Full Clip Edition represents the most complete and enhanced way to experience Bulletstorm, as some smart additions and an improved presentation help breathe new life into the 2011 FPS. Many of the game’s issues from the past still remain, as some questionable one-liners and depth-lacking modes are still present for this 2017 remaster. But the core FPS combat still remains one-of-a-kind among its fellow shooters, as the high-flying action urges to be experienced by both veterans and newcomers alike, as long as you’re willing to get your boots a little dirty.

Technical issues aside, there’s little to argue against Yooka-Laylee doing a fine job identifying just what makes 3D platformers such a joy to invest in aesthetically.

Blackwood Crossing begins with the promise of a fantastic and emotional journey, and provides one from beginning to end when it comes to a terrific story, but in terms of gameplay, the journey ends well before we can even take a stroll to the dining car or the like. It’s just too short a trip, not allowing for enough time to make the most out of things when it comes to puzzles, challenge or unique interactions. It’s decent, sure, but sadly never gets the opportunity to be truly interesting, which is sad given the amount of potential here.

Zero Escape: The Nonary Games is as close to the perfect package as is currently available for folks looking to jump into the Zero Escape world. The only thing that would make it better is if it somehow included Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma to complete the set. Even so, the two included games offer players over twenty hours of gameplay as they work through dozens of distinct endings. The lack of tweaks to Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward may seem strange in comparison, even though that title didn’t need much reworking to begin with. In either case, there’s no doubt that Zero Escape: The Nonary Games is a set of visual novels that are both worth a look.

The decision as to whether or not Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King should be checked out boils down to the answer of a single question: does the potential buyer desire a new Zelda of the old school style? If the answer is yes, then this game is a must buy. All of the pieces are present and put together in an entertaining fashion, adhering close to the original design while upping the challenge and adding in more of a quest system. It’s not the most creative experience, but one can’t help but feel that Castle Pixel made precisely the game that they wanted to play. This level of care shows through in the final product, making it a perfect title for anyone who wants to recapture the sense of discovery felt while playing through A Link to the Past for the first time.

A few bugs aside, Beat Cop is a highly engrossing and addictive adventure, a cross between classic ’80s action and routine cop duty that makes for some extremely interesting gameplay as you get sucked in and even get attached to everyone in your little part of Brooklyn. Proper management and investigation skills are rewarded with satisfying results and advancements in various intriguing narratives, and the gameplay is the kind that’s enjoyably simple to learn and fun to work with. Long story short, even if this is more of a tribute to the like of Harry Callahan, it’s Sonny Bonds who should feel proud that Pixel Crow made an enjoyable game about police work that does his legacy justice.

There’s an engaging storyline in Miniature Garden which unfortunately gets cut a bit short by the end. Even with a multitude of endings, things still feel a bit lacking after completion. Still, the ride provided by the game offers a whole lot of creepiness as our cast of high schoolers work to their school before its curse gets enacted upon them. If you appreciate mystery visual novels which won’t take dozens of hours to finish then Miniature Garden is one new release to check out.

Components blend in such a way to entice a new player to give it more than a few runs. After the honeymoon is over, though, a game that leans so heavy into the rogue-like trappings needs to do something to maintain player interest. Regrettably, that is where this title falters.

PacaPlus excels at being a strange visual novel with a girlfriend turned into a fluffy alpaca. It falters when attempting to create a tale which is joyful to read, through. With middling writing, readers will most likely find themselves playing simply because of the silly premise rather than because they care at all about Kazuma or Yukari’s plight. That’s not awful — but it would have been fantastic to see the second English version of this game offer immensely improved translation quality. Instead, we’ve got a bare-bones effort which reduces the Engrish-ness but otherwise leaves the mechanical script alone. In some respects, the game is far funnier in the PacoProject translation and as such may be worth grabbing from DLsite instead of Steam. Still, if all you need is ridiculous sequences with a goofy alpaca, PacaPlus has you covered.

Chaos Code – New Sign of Catastrophe doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but what it does provide is a lot of high-quality 2D fighting action. The cast isn’t the most diverse in gaming, but still offers up a great deal of variety when it comes to play styles and the usual fast-paced Arc Systems Work fighting action keeps you on your toes at all times. Online play is a huge missed opportunity due to the sheer of lack of players currently, so anyone looking to buy it for that would be wise to wait a bit until the player base is built up over time. It’s a visually-pleasing game despite some archaic aspects to the graphics and presentation, and delivers a satisfying soundtrack alongside exceptional sound effects that make each blow feel that much more damaging.

Despite a lack of traversable areas and series-renowned stressful choices, “Above the Law” represents a solid and polished episode of the latest The Walking Dead season, thanks to some intriguing conflicts and character moments. While the season still doesn’t feel like it quite knows where it’s headed next, the intermediate episode gives players plenty of reasons to continue following the drama of the Garcia brothers.

Not everything is perfect, though as many of the characters and their roles too closely resemble that of how Persona 4 is set up, and managing so many relationships at once can occasionally feel like busy work.

With over eighty hours of content, Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix is the ultimate way to experience the franchise and the perfect time sink as we wait for Kingdom Hearts III.

The Show 17 is fundamentally sound, but doesn’t move the sports genre forward. It will appease longtime fans that flock to it year after year, but until the series does something remarkably different, it’ll fall short of being able to stand out of the pack. This year’s version of The Show does a lackluster job of making it seem like anything more than a yearly roster update built upon the same foundation of last year’s game and that is by far the heaviest critique that can be handed down to any yearly sports title.

Dark Souls III: The Ringed City isn’t the swan song that we hoped it would be, but it’s still an enticing adventure for hardcore fans. The problem lies within city itself, which is a bit of a formulaic mess that fails to capture what made the series great. The first half of the DLC has an excellent setup that will leave players wanting more, especially with callbacks to Dark Souls II, but city portion is structurally boring. It’s still intertwining in on itself, but it feels like the developers had a checklist of all their favorite areas and design tropes that needed to be in this short experience, lessening their importance. No one area feels fleshed out enough to be memorable. Regardless, the bosses are a decent showpiece, especially if you can find the secret one, and the new enemies are a welcome addition. It may be only a few hours long, but The Ringed City still a worthy addition to the Dark Souls universe.

Though the plot opens the door to some compelling storytelling only to trip while walking in, there are so many other reasons to give Toukiden 2 a spin. This is faster and more action packed when compared to other titles in the genre. It features a truly open world with load times only occurring when first starting up, fast traveling, story transition or game over. Even then, loads are short. The player can explore and quest for hours without ever needing to stop. When taking into account the massive amount of options packed into this title, they might not want to.

Vikings – Wolves of Midgard takes the formula made popular by the game named after the Spanish word for devil and makes it its own. I wouldn’t go as a far to say this is a Diablo killer, but this is one of the more impressive titles that follows that game’s template. The looting, crafting and killing formula is one that has been done many times over and it is no less addictive in this title. This interpretation of Ragnarok and Norse mythology creates an interesting campaign setting that’s not often used in games, and the visual and sound design make this an engrossing title once the player gets past the tutorials. For fans of action RPGs, Vikings – Wolves of Midgard is a must play.

Battlefield 1: They Shall Not Pass feels like it shouldn’t have taken as long as it has to release. While it feels good to finally have something new to sink our teeth into in Battlefield 1, They Shall Not Pass feels like content that should have been there at launch or earlier in the lifecycle. Three of the new maps are fantastic and stand strong when compared to the base maps, but there’s a strong sense of déjà vu about them. The final map, while good on paper, is ultimately brought down by poor design decisions, and the new weapons, while fun, are locked beyond arbitrary walls. There’s a decent amount of content here, but it doesn’t justify the asking price, or how long it’s taken to actually get a substantial amount of new content in Battlefield 1.

Snipperclips gives players an overall enjoyable experience that allows them to sit down and relax while playing alone or with some friends. The puzzles start simple but get complex enough that it will take some creative thinking to figure them all out. While it may not offer a ton of replayability after every level has been beaten, it can easily make for a fun experience when showing it to someone who has never tried it out before. Someone looking to pick up a simple multiplayer title for the Nintendo Switch to sit down and enjoy with a friend need look no further than Snipperclips: Cut It Out, Together!

88 Heroes is an excellent 2D platformer that makes great use of a unique premise to make it infinitely replayable. Having 88 characters to choose from keeps each play session different while also giving you enough familiarity with the main goal to ensure that you have some idea of what to do for each stage. The controls are sharp and the graphics are gorgeous for what they need to be. The music could use some improvement, but its shortcomings are overcome by strong voice and sound effect work. Anyone craving a new 2D platformer with a unique twist on classic gameplay should check it out.

Anyone who enjoys racing games and owns a Switch does not have many options for games right now beyond FAST RMX. Fortunately, it should provide players with at least a dozen hours of gameplay as they work their way from the novice cups to more advanced races. Online and local multiplayer also adds some additional fun into the mix. There’s not much else to the experience, however, and some may wish that the game were a more “pure” arcade racer rather than one with additional gameplay aspects layered on top of simply racing super fast.

Mass Effect: Andromeda is an unbalanced experience. It’s an incredibly ambitious game with a colossal scope, but it doesn’t always hit the right notes.

Desync is not the worst first person shooter I have ever played, but it just doesn’t bring anything to the table to make it that worthwhile either. It does a good job at recreating how the ’80s tried to create something that looked futuristic, but this stylized homage to that decade is definitely style over substance.

Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight is the ideal mix of old and new. The visuals and 2D platforming scream ’80s NES, but the detail that went into the pixel art and the attack combos mixed with fluid animation give this title just enough of a modern feel so it doesn’t feel dated. Fans of Metroidvanias and old adventure games owe it to themselves to check out Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight.

Touhou Double Focus is a quirky Metroidvania that offers fun and challenging gameplay. This isn’t the first game that requires the player to switch between two different play styles, but the simplicity in doing so does enhance the exploration aspect of the beautifully designed areas of the book world. While not incredibly long, this doesn’t feel incomplete since each area is filled with many nooks and crannies to explore with secrets to find. Time attack and replaying boss fights adds to the replay value and certain trophies need to only be attempted by the most masochistic of gamers.

For its price and what its trying to do, Ghost Blade HD isn’t the worst time. Navigating mazes of instant death in the form of the projectiles does have an inherent value. It’s just that there are so many better examples of the genre available across all platforms. If the player is looking for something to ease them into this type of game, this will fit the bill. The bullet pattern design does play fair. The real worry is that a newcomer might play this and wonder what all the fuss is about. Already indoctrinated fans will just find themselves bored in short order.

Touhou Genso Wanderer is a worthy addition to any roguelike fan’s collection, and even more so for Touhou fans as there are references to their other games throughout this one. The everyone takes one turn at a time system might not be for everyone, for this title is one of the better implementations of this format.

Whether new to the series or a long time veteran, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is the perfect balance of challenge, adventure and fun that shouldn’t be missed out on.

With some tuning of the initial time mechanic and a rework of the characters, Atelier Firis could have been the best the series has seen. Still, it can boast the best world the franchise has offered to explore, and that is saying something.

The game mechanics are on par with some of the better known stealth titles out there, and taking place in a massive and beautiful fantasy world only enhances the experience. The typical stealth elements such as hiding in the shadows and hanging off building ledges mix well with the more unique abilities such as invisibility and having a clone run amok to take the focus off of Styx.

The Shadows of Pygmalion provides a tremendously enjoyable dramatic story which showcases just how strenuous being a “hero” can be — especially when you’re just a normal high schooler. While it sounds initially like yet another one of those stories, you’ll find that The Shadows of Pygmalion takes things in intriguing directions. It also manages to give the yuri community a more action-driven tale than what they might be used to, which is fantastic. The biggest letdown may simply be that there is not room for more gameplay choices. Fortunately, most readers will find themselves swept up in the story so quickly that they won’t even notice a lack of dialogue options on their journey.

Stranger of Sword City Revisited is an improvement over the original release, making this the version to play if Stranger of Sword City is a title on your radar that you haven’t gotten to yet. Stranger of Sword City Revisited is an intelligent old school dungeon crawler and is among the better games that have attempted to utilize this style in recent years. For fans of old school dungeon crawlers, this is a must-play title. The tricky part is, is this worthwhile for someone revisit that has completed the original version? The changes are many, and they do improve the overall game quite a bit, but Stranger of Sword City was not a short game, and revisiting it for those who completed the first game would probably be limited to only the most die hard fans. Old school.

Da Capo 3 R is a massive visual novel that is set to provide hours upon hours of entertainment for the sort of visual novel fan who loves their slice of life tales with a dose of fantasy. Anyone not enthused with generally sappy tales of high schoolers may unfortunately find large parts of the story dull — in which case the huge length is a detriment. At least MangaGamer has provided an option for fans to get an all-ages edition or 18+ release via Da Capo 3 R X~Rated. No matter which you choose, you’ll be in for an enormous visual novel with a likable cast, mysteries to uncover and an anime-styled look at magic.

Numerous Japanese visual novels have been coming to English-speaking audiences lately, many of them excellent. The Zero Escape series manages to excite and confound, the Phoenix Wright games lets players live out a Japanese take on Law & Order and even BlazBlue got in on it via the X-Blaze series. Danganronpa manages to eke out a place at the top of the pack. Players new to the series have no reason to pass up this collection. Both games are extremely well written and hard to put down. Returning players who already know the solutions to all of the conundrums but don’t mind re-experiencing the story will find a better looking version of the original two titles here. Since this is releasing at a lower price, that’s enough of a reason to go through again in preparation for Danganronpa V3.

Just Dance 2017 on Nintendo Switch is the definition of a port as besides allowing for new control options, there’s nothing to distinguish it from other consoles. That’s not a slight at Ubisoft, as there’s not much that could have been done to enhance this re-release besides updating the controls and they were successful in that. Using JoyCons is a fine way to experience the game, with similar functionality to that of a Wii Remote or smartphone (which are also compatible with the game) and makes it easy to rope in multiple players for those with a ton of them on hand.

Although shifting to a pseudo-isometric viewpoint, not much has changed here and it remains as addictive as ever. Unfortunately, the very thing that makes it appealing also holds it back. There’s nothing new here versus the many other Bomberman games and although polished and featuring a colorful story, there isn’t a major reason to return. Addictive as it may be, there’s not much content here and camera angle and control issues strain things further. That being said, it’s still a blast (pun fully intended) and can easily make for a great party for those looking to be social with their new console. A perfectly good “B game” for Zelda, Super Bomberman R is a cute ball of fun, but could have been more.

Skylanders Imaginators remains the same great game on Nintendo Switch as it was on other consoles, but with a few drawbacks and additions.

With frustrating tech, unappealing appearance and a lack of quality of life streamlining, Torment: Tides of Numenera might actually be my biggest gaming-related disappointment since I bought an Atari Jaguar.

NieR: Automata is an absolute masterpiece from beginning to end (or ends, to be a bit more accurate). Even for what was our most anticipated game of the year, I still didn’t expect to be blown away that much, but this was an absolute thrill ride in every area, from just running through a gorgeous wrecked city with wild boars roaming around to surfing down sand dunes in a desert in a cool little touch to fighting off an army of twenty-some robots vomiting corrosive material with some of the finest combat in recent video game history (oh, not to mention the actual thrill ride at one point). It is an addictive, joyous, haunting beauty with a surreal mystery at the center of its captivating world to uncover, and like the best games of its kind, you’ll find yourself diving back in for as much as you can.

The action packed gameplay and well developed story make the time in Bolivia enjoyable, and the freedom to play solo or cooperatively through campaign caters to anyone’s preferred social level in gaming. Wildlands might not be what longtime fans were hoping for from a new Ghost Recon, but putting expectations aside, Wildlands is not a game to miss.

Although it’s told through the lenses of cute cuddly woodland creatures, Night in the Woods‘ narrative themes of isolation and insecurity are nothing to shake a stick at. Despite its pitfalls Infinite Falls’ story about the declining heartland touched me more than any game has any abject right to.

Nioh solidifies the status of roguelikes and their relevance in today’s gaming landscape. Never in my countless hours with the game did Nioh feel like the knock off Bloodborne it might look like at first glance. Instead it enhances and develops the genre in new and interesting ways, building and adding a fresh layer of varnish on a previously-established framework. Although it doesn’t carry its charm completely in its later stages, developer Team Ninja deserve a mess of credit for making a game that goes about enhancing a beloved genre without tarnishing the work it’s emulating.

With an outrageous amount of content, tons of characters and freedom to manage your farm as you see fit, few will be able to resist the allure of Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns.

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…

Ys Origin is over a decade old and holds up well despite showing its age. It’s not a lengthy game and a single playthrough will only take roughly ten hours, though if one were to want to see the full story with every character, its brevity makes that much more feasible. Being as this is a dungeon crawler centered around climbing a massive tower, the short length makes it just long enough to feel like it is a complete game without overstaying its welcome. Even on easy, the boss fights won’t hand over a victory without a fight, and the nightmare difficulty will challenge even the most seasoned Ys veteran. While this is a fun game and should be played by all Ys fans, I would be more inclined to recommend it to people who are already fans of the franchise.

Dystoria will expand and challenge your mind with its six-axis gameplay element as players will be forced to approach aspects of the game differently than they would logically. Technical issues and adjustments to the controls can hamper the experience, but once comfortable, players will settle into an experience straight out of a sci-fi movie from 1982. This game seems simple at first glance, but offers a good bit of depth and replay value if one looks to master the game. The addicting gameplay will make the player want to master each level. Dystoria offers more as a puzzle game with elements of an arcade shooter.

Hidden Folks may be on the short side, and has its occasional hair-pulling moment, but the hefty amount of charm it has in even the smallest individual, combined with some particularly clever puzzle design, make it worth taking at least one quick spin with. Hopefully we will indeed see a surge of more content to up the replay value in the future, but for now the end result is a solid and cute puzzle game that would do Martin Handford proud. If you can’t afford a classic piece of Waldo literature at the moment, maybe consider hunting down a few cute folks.

For those looking for the kind of wind-me-down indie title that can still rustle up a good, nuanced frustration from time to time, BOOR will meet that demand (if not exceed it) without letting its potential annoyances get in the way or become the focal point. Unfortunately, there’s not much else to find in this brief puzzle-platformer that warrants the case a bulk of the developer’s true focus was really, truly invested that deeply. The simplified and illustrative presentation is a pleasant assortment of pinkish-reds and greyscale tones and the way this basic geometry can at times deliver something a little more complex and demanding in the gameplay front can be regarded the game’s real height at points. A pleasant experience it may be, just don’t expect anything other than conformity to a tried-and-tested formula.

Forma.8 is an interesting (if flawed) take on the concept of lone exploration in its most pure and absolute sense. It’s not pretentious to talk kindly on the use of color and geometric abstraction to give meaning to one’s World, because the way MixedBag manage to conjure intrigue with such basic structures alongside their chosen tones and particularly hollowed-out level design deserves a warm reception. Though skating a little too precariously in its more long-winded moments, Forma.8 ends up being an enjoyable alternative to the Metroidvania thesis.

Circles is a relaxing puzzle game that can still be surprisingly tricky, sometimes exasperatingly so. Making precise movements while taking the level’s rotation into account and also keeping the speed up because the circles in the level grow larger the faster you move can take more than a few tries to get past, but those sections are the exception to the move laid-back nature of the rest of the game. Try, fail, try again, experiment a bit, win, move on to the next puzzle, and repeat. It’s an easy and comfortable rhythm to fall into, as you’re gently carried along by the mellow soundtrack past one level to the next. Circles switches from relaxing and thoughtful to twitchy and precise over its visually-arresting stages, and its hard to stop playing until you’ve seen everything it has to offer.

The lack of multiplayer holds Berserk and the Band of the Hawk back from being the greatest Omega Force title, but players who are okay with this will find an experience that both captures the soul of the source material as well as one of the purest, most hyperviolent, titles to hit the market.

Even if our first follow-up to one of the most legendary games ever made is a more relatively small-scale PlayStation VR game, Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin is still an absolute treat indeed, and a must-play for anyone who owns the peripheral.

Ride 2 doesn’t do everything it could have to become the premiere motorcycle racing game on the market, but it comes far closer than the original. The racing action is more intense than before, but the core game is still held back by a bit by long load times. The online play remains solid, so anyone who enjoyed the original’s online play will find more of that to enjoy here. Anyone who felt that the first game was a world of unfulfilled potential will find more to like here. The core action is far better and there is more to enjoy than before. It’s a well-crafted game and well-worth buying for anyone who enjoys fast-paced sim racing and has a passion for motorycles.

For a first attempt at the genre, Bat Country Games shows a clear understanding of how to integrate the player’s abilities within the level design, coercing players into switching between them in a rapid-fire fashion. Despite this, Dye still stumbles at the finish line by eliminating any sense of motivation to progress further, as uncontrollable, frequent deaths and infrequent checkpoints raise the challenge beyond what is necessary, or arguably feasible. Dye will still likely find an audience among speedrunners, as well as equally dedicated gamers who can put up with the repetition, but with plenty of challenging platformers already available that offer a more attainable rate of success, it will be hard for Dye to have that same rate of return that these demanding platformers so often rely upon.

This is a culmination of everything Guerrilla has learned from working on the Killzone franchise and they've successfully crafted something that delivers on the potential many saw back in 2015. Horizon Zero Dawn is not only one of the best-looking games of this generation, but a must own for every PlayStation 4 owner.

While there are some imperfections, such as a constant internet connection required and the large amount of grinding required to unlock everything, For Honor is a solid title and recommended for fans of melee combat action titles who want to try a unique twist on a familiar formula.

Flywrench is a deceptively simple challenge that requires nerves of steel and a vast reservoir of patience if you want to see everything it has to offer. When the game clicks it’s a fantastic challenge, with the difficulty offset by the short levels that make you feel like a pure ninja master when cleared.

The best thing about Sweetest Monster is the story it presents. On the other hand, it’s likely the storyline which is sure to turn some readers completely away. If you’re coming to this game from something vapidly sweet like Nekopara then it may totally rock your world in a bad way. Others with a taste for dark, disturbing tales may love it — or find it doesn’t go far enough. With such a wide array of opinions, the only way to know if you’ll enjoy this one or not is to simply play Sweetest Monster yourself.

At the end of the day, however, it’s the multiplayer and gameplay that make or break an RTS game, and Halo Wars 2 checks those boxes. If you’ve ever had the itch to command an army of UNSC soldiers, Halo Wars 2 will easily scratch it.

Most of this review was spent pointing out where John Wick Chronicles fails fans of the movie, and that is a major issue. While it doesn’t always work out, even the worst licensed game still has hopes of trying to capture the feel of the franchise it’s using. Outside of the Continental, this game doesn’t. One cannot help but think that there were some grand designs for what the game was going to be before the deadline in the form of the sequel’s release reared its head. Anyone who can put that aside and wants a decent gallery shooter can have a good time with John Wick Chronicles. The targets are plentiful and the game likes to use all 360 degrees around the player for their spawn points, meaning it takes advantage of the ability to turn around, something that some other similar titles can’t even state. So, while John Wick Chronicles cannot be recommended at full price, it’s worth snagging when a proper sale comes around.

Giga Wrecker has the attractive presentation and unique blend of genres that make for a cult classic, with only a few slip-ups getting in the way of true greatness. But even as is, it’s a terrific game with some clever ideas that also puts up just enough of a fight in every area to end up both challenging and fun in perfect amounts.

For a first title, Splashteam has shown that they are more than capable of bringing some original ideas to one of gaming’s oldest genres. The action-packed levels offer plenty of surprises to keep players on their toes, even if a few fall flat, and the brightly colored presentation further benefits the unique title. Yet, Splasher‘s distinct lack of character is unfortunate, as even a few minor touches could have greatly enhanced the context in which all of this exciting platforming is taking place. Nonetheless, casual and speedrunning platforming fans alike will find a pleasantly surprising amount of depth and content that boosts Splasher to exciting heights.

It would be easy to criticize Rosenkreuzstilette for copying so much of its content from Mega Man games, but that is what makes it so enjoyable. There have been many games that try to piggyback on more successful franchises on a superficial level but completely miss what made the source material so great. This is a blatant Mega Man clone, but it is a clone that was properly done.

Despite its ambitious stride to tell a gripping tale of a father/husband striving desperately to look for his missing family, Husk‘s end delivery is anything but. With a host of mechanical and structural oddities breaking numerous points of immersion where it’s seldom gained — both before and after post-release updates — across environments that, though blended rather well into one another, could very well be found in ample other titles using horror as an attribute, Husk is a frustrating game to recommend. Marred by technical difficulties that come to question just how “finished” this game truly is/was, Husk is another example of a studio that have mistaken basic nostalgia for the wealth of enjoyment.

If Super Pixel Smash was one part of a larger collection of mini-games, it would be a standout. Things can get a bit hectic and there is some skill required, but it doesn’t manage to extend past feeling like a mini-game.

Certainly the best Sniper Elite to date, but Rebellion's best work too? Hey, it just might be.

There are certain games that are ubiquitous for the Steam user. Pretty much everyone has Portal in their Steam library. Copies of Thomas Was Alone are more common than sand in the Mojave. Bleed 2 needs to be one of those. As a game, it is side scrolling action perfected. There are no truly cheap parts or dull moments; everything is designed to be learned and surmounted. This is something that just cannot be said about even some of the best games on the market. Considering that even its base price is under ten dollars, there is no reason to miss out. Skipping Bleed 2 is like shoving toothpicks under your fingernails. Sure it can be done, but it hurts and there is no point.

Linelight‘s unapologetically simple aesthetic is cunningly packed with a punch matched only by its intelligent assortment of variety and execution in creating a puzzle game that blossoms into something more than merely guiding colored bars on a circuit board-like winding of lines. A testament to the ever-growing puzzle genre, Linelight is nothing short of a stroke of genius.

While the world is vast, it feels barren with an uneven difficulty.

You don't have to be good at or even like on-rails shooters to enjoy it, and because it's such a frustration free experience, maybe it will even act as a great gateway game for the genre.

Exactly what Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare needed.

Thanks to the distinctive story and a number of improvements to the overall combat, Tales of Berseria ends up being one of the better Tales games in a while. With that said, this accomplishment isn’t exactly the most difficult hurdle to overcome considering the last decade hasn’t been too kind on the series. The problem is just how slow-paced and one-note the early goings are.

Candleman is the first true surprise of 2017. An ambitious little platformer that seemingly came out of nowhere and ended up as an unforgettable, brilliant and gorgeous light in the gaming landscape, not unlike its protagonist.

Possibly its best home game to date. It wears its 8-bit roots on its sleeve and delivers exciting beat-em-up action most of the time. The overall package is hurt by occasionally clunky controls, iffy platforming and a lack of online play. Longtime fans of the series will be right at home with the overall package, though. The core gameplay is rock-solid and is well-worth checking out for longtime fans, while newcomers will find out exactly why the franchise has been so beloved over the years.

While another round of polish would do a nice job of knocking off the rough edges, the core experience is a lively game that remains fun and playable from start to finish.

It is still an icy tomb, but even the wrecks are rather glorious once you get up close to them (and loot them for rare books and whatnot).

Ultimately, Alwa’s Awakening feels like the foundation to what might have been a rather more substantial revisit of the glorious 8-bit like so many before it. Though its varied locales and array of gems to find do at least give plenty of food for thought on how to achieve what may feel like a frustratingly impossible task, a lot of the finished product that comprises Alwa’s Awakening comes across as either undercooked or much too rose-tinted and reliant on nostalgia for the pure sake of it.

People looking for a traditional Dynasty Warriors or an extremely complex tactical game will not find one here. Fans of Dynasty Warriors who want to see those characters in a different arena and don’t mind a tactics game that has pick up and play accessibility, however, should get a lot of enjoyment out of this.

It might be a bit trite to say that being bad never felt so good, but indeed, the villainous escapades of Crow and company make for an incredibly fun platformer indeed. Led by a boastful and charming character and diving straight into a cute sense of humor with some gorgeous graphics, Nefarious then opens up further to reveal a terrific adventure that simultaneously features and pays ode to some classic ’90s action, while still throwing in its own twists and engaging story in order to craft a wicked little romp that makes being the megalomanic a delight.

Through its creative cast and interesting interactions, 2064 brings its pixel art world to life. Despite a few technical hitches, 2064: Read Only Memories is a step forward in the way games interact and intersect with politics and how storytelling in games can make a statement in today’s climate.

Though not the first of its kind and by no means the most original tale spun from out this current trend of liberty-vouching discussion, Mainlining is a smart and cleverly put-together point-and-click piece that is layered enough with its puzzles but prominently more effective in its use of real World culture in providing that added sense of personally historic immersion.

On paper, it’s easy to pick apart Resident Evil 7 for its inconsistencies; the game struggles to find a balance between being purely horror or a title more reminiscent of Resident Evil’s past, and the poor presentation and writing don’t help. And yet, in the moment, much of that can be easily forgiven or even straight-up forgotten because it immerses the player so well into a terrifying world of horrors thanks to the polish, initially intense combat sequences and numerous memorable sequences that range from simple exploration to grand, over-the-top boss fights.

A love letter to both the show and beat-em-ups that falls short of reaching its goals. The franchise’s earliest games were largely better than this, and while this does scratch a nostalgia itch to some degree, it isn’t a satisfying gaming experience. Movesets are far too lean and there are too few enemies to keep the action interesting for very long. Dedicated fans of the show may want to check it out, but everyone else can safely skip it.

Smashbox Arena is a fantastic take on dodgeball, combining the classic playground activity with an arena FPS to make something fast enough for good competitive gaming while remaining appropriate for all ages.

Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue may not satisfy those who desperately want Kingdom Hearts III, but it is the perfect collection to experience old and new adventures in the Kingdom Hearts universe while we wait.

Despite some issues in blending its story together with the rest of the experience, She Remembered Caterpillars is still a highly enjoyable puzzle game, one that clearly had a lot of hard work put into every area possible in order to create something so simple yet elegant and challenging.

Yakuza fans are in for a massive treat with Yakuza 0.

Hive Jump combines many sub-genres of action-platformers into one game, and does them all fairly well. Its shooting is fantastic, with strong sound design making each kill feel rewarding.

Atelier Shallie Plus: Alchemists of the Dusk Sea is the perfect place for series newcomers to start. The various areas of character improvement built into the systems here means that it feels like the player is always making rapid progress, even when completing the most mundane of tasks. Coupling this with an interesting, if not revolutionary, story makes for an engrossing game that would have dug its hooks even if it were not the only digital escape hatch provided for a trip to the in-laws. PS Vita is one of the most important destinations for JRPGs on the market and Atelier Shallie Plus is another major reason why.

The actual game portion is well done, and fun in small chunks, but becomes a bit too repetitive for its own good.

Despite its brevity ultimately doing some notable harm to it, Rise & Shine is still ultimately a solid platformer for the most part, one that has a lot of cute callbacks to classic video games while still having its own unique charm, along with some impressive graphics and nifty ideas sprinkled throughout. The action gets nice and intense, and save for the end, puts up a meaty yet fair challenge. So while it isn’t exactly the greatest at skewering gaming culture while also honoring it, it’s still an overall good game.

Though not as almighty a step up as some of the more recent sequels we’ve seen, Gravity Rush 2 remains a fun and intriguing place to return to.

There’s a lot to love in Angels of Death because it isn’t yet another indie horror copycat. In almost every way it pushes toward different directions. From the offbeat storyline to gameplay which is always shaking itself up, players are in for one heck of a ride.

Perhaps Batman: The Telltale Series’ greatest flaw is inconsistency; playing each episode separately can make some of the weaknesses of the lesser episodes, like technical issues and poor pacing, more apparent in a way that most other Telltale series do not suffer from. But, for players who can dive into the full series all at once, Telltale’s Batman easily stands strong as one of the Dark Knight’s greatest video game outings, providing a gripping tale that clearly separates itself from a standard Batman affair.