Putting aside the technical complaints, Shadow Warrior 2 is legitimately one of the best shooters of 2016 thus far. From its quick, snappy gun and sword combat to its satisfying Diablo-style loot system, this is the type of game that players will find themselves coming back to whenever they’re seeking a good time. Yes, it’s blatantly trying to be offensive in the dumbest ways possible (lest we forget, your character’s name is Lo Wang), but its self-awareness has a way of bringing a smile to your face.

The story is too loose and doesn’t display a proper direction just yet. It’s not all bad as there is a rather striking moment halfway through the story, but if this is truly all that remains, then we’re in for a rough season.

While a story or intriguing use of narrative might have only gone so far, though, Golf Story’s easy-to-grasp; hard-to-master core gameplay — that still manages to pace its teaching players the smaller details — is what will keep players coming back for more. Having them hunt down even the additional side-quests on top, no matter how zany or surreal the premise might be. It’s this unorthodox approach ultimately that gives Golf Story its unique identity and undeniable appeal as both a sports title and an independent release. While the influences are clear to see and the source material might not be entirely original, this game is wonderfully, weirdly different, but engaging all the same.

Thus, if you haven’t had the pleasure of playing Muramasa before, and you have a Vita, Rebirth is wholeheartedly worth playing. It’s breathtakingly beautiful in all aspects — from its combat to graphics to soundtrack to the sword forging mechanic, this is just an immensely enjoyable game, even in spite of its repetitious combat and under-emphasized story.

While Xanadu Next is buggy and its menus just plain busted for controller use, the rest of the game is a wonderful trip through a classic JRPG world.

The First Berserker: Khazan is a solid Soulslike that just doesn’t do anything special. Even though the developers do a good job creating skill trees to match each weapon, there’s a serious lack of variety when it comes to the arsenal and attributes. On top of that, while the bosses are a treat to fight, being a significant challenge that evolves with the story, the same can’t be said about the mission structure. These are lacking functionally and artistically in their design, creating less-than-compelling locales to fight through. Despite all of our issues with The First Berserker: Khazan, it still scratched an itch that many Soulslikes haven’t been able to.

Othercide may challenge you harshly, but it also adequately rewards your perseverance.

Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is the best way to change the Borderlands formula and quite possibly the best Borderlands game to date. A lot of this is due to the change of setting and the unchained feeling tying directly into deeper customization.

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.

Persona 3 Reload: Episode Aigis is a faithful recreation of The Answer in Persona 3 FES. It’s a good, but unremarkable expansion that expands upon the story more than it does the gameplay and features. It’s a significant departure from the social building aspect the series is known for, along with the time management between school and exploration. It’s a hollower campaign by comparison, but that’s not to say it’s bad because the story does introduce a new mystery that ties things up relatively well thanks to the supporting cast and their character building.

Disgaea 3 is as brilliant as the other games, but the over-saturated gameplay and less than expected graphic quality are regrettable drawbacks.

Simply put, The Rising Tide is a fitting end to Final Fantasy XVI. It delivers more stellar gameplay and an interesting narrative, all while further solidifying the legacy of the franchise's sixteenth title. While it may play it safe with the characters, bosses and story, it makes up for it with the addition of Leviathan and Kairos Gate. Furthermore, the DLC is a perfect sendoff to the game, lending itself well to what was established and giving fans a chance to return to Clive, Torgal, Jill and Jonathan one last time. Those who enjoyed the base game will find The Rising Tide to be an enjoyable and worthwhile adventure to travel back to Valisthea for.

There’s no better way to sum it up than just by getting straight to the point: Cyber Shadow is a fun action-platformer and one that expertly emulates the NES classic of yore. While it also kept some rather hair-pulling moments, largely thanks to a few annoying level sections, it still manages to deliver the type of classic, action-packed gameplay that the best games in the genre were known for. Throw in an engaging story, superb graphics and a few neat secrets, and this is one throwback to a twisted cybernetic future worth basking in.

Every single character has a sense of mystery around them that makes it easy to want to learn more and Somnium Files is happy to dish it out to those willing to dive deeper into all it has to offer. It’s also worth noting that this is a dark title, with lots of visually upsetting imagery and extremely serious situations, so those that are sensitive to these situations should be aware of before they dive in. It’s rare that such an amazing gem of a story and mechanics like this comes around but AI: The Somnium Files is a must-have for those who love murder mysteries with deep, rich stories.

Most of the time, it often feels like the game can’t decide what it wants to be, as the playful nature of the exploration pushes against the heavy-handed plot, and the over-the-top set-piece moments in the final hours feel incompatible with the more grounded puzzle-based gameplay of the previous hours. Having a friend along for the ride makes the journey to the few memorable scenarios worth the wait, but those looking for the next great couch co-op adventure will likely be left unfulfilled.

Axiom Verge 2 is exactly what a sequel should be in that it’s more of the same but different. Indra isn’t Trace so her skills and abilities don’t try to mirror his too closely, and the world she’s been dropped into frequently has wide open vistas in its background instead of more types of caverns. The level design is every bit as good if not better, featuring varied biomes that stand on their own but eventually all interconnect as new skills open up more passages. The switch back and forth between Indra and the drone provides a nice change of pace, with each earning different abilities that complement the other. And of course the soundtrack is fantastic, with its non-US-traditional instruments and vocalizing. If you loved the first Axiom Verge then odds are good the second one is everything you hoped for, and if you’ve never played the original then the standalone nature of the sequel means you don’t have to worry about having missed out. Either way, Axiom Verge 2 is an excellent Metroidvania, and a rare perfect example of a series that can balance quality and change to deliver something new.

Aokana – Four Rhythms Across the Blue is the type of game you can recommend to someone who is interested in dipping their toe into the world of visual novels. It smashes through the stereotype that the genre is all about sexual content or sappy romance. Sure, there’s romance to be had, but it comes alongside an excellent storyline packed with Flying Circus fun. The way it takes aspects from anime also helps to make the game seem familiar. Existing visual novel lovers who passed on the game before should pick it up as well. While this might be a longer game, the hours fly by as you get drawn into the exciting world of Aokana – Four Rhythms Across the Blue.

As cool as VR Fallout sounds, Fallout 4 is simply more enjoyable on the flat screen. Despite the issues that came with the port to VR, experiencing Fallout 4 in VR is great, not so much because of how amazing it is but because of the potential that’s shown. Fallout 4 was not built from the ground up for VR, and considering its size made porting it to VR no minor task, it’s still a worthwhile title even with its shortcomings and arguably essentially for any Vive owner. Fallout 4 VR shows that a game of this magnitude can exist in VR format and if a Fallout game was built from the ground up for VR and used this as a reference point for what to improve the results could be truly astounding. As it stands, it’s clear that VR games have come a long way in the past couple of years but still have a way to go before their potential is fully realized.

Even after nearly seven years, Vanquish still has some of the best combat of any action game. It’s fast, it’s intense and most importantly, it’s downright fun. Unfortunately, variety isn’t the game’s strong point. From an artistic perspective, not a whole lot changes from the beginning of the campaign to the end; everything has a sterile mechanical look to it that refuses to change. It’s also criminally short, coming in between five to six hours. Granted, it’s non-stop action, but you’ll have a burning desire for even more as the credits begin to roll. Regardless, Vanquish’s strengths are in its gameplay mechanics as skating around on your knees and taking down enemies with the unique arsenal is highly engaging. It helps that the PC port, outside some oddities, is done with care, with optimization being a positive component, and keyboard & mouse controls feeling natural. In the end, Vanquish isn’t a perfect game by any means, but its high-octane combat makes it a must play for any action fan.

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.

Stellaris was going to draw in the genre buffs with its intricacies, that was practically a given; Paradox’s masterstroke was enabling it to get its hooks into the rest of us.

Cotton Fantasy nicely follows up on the reboot while also sticking too close to the formula, feeling like an extension of what the reboot was visually and in terms of gameplay. It does feature more variety with behind-the-back action, but it feels like a waste to have that relegated to bonus areas instead of integrating it into at least one action stage given that the prior entry in the series was behind-the-back fully and this feels like a tease. Other than that shortcoming, Cotton Fantasy is a tremendous experience and a ton of fun for anyone who enjoyed the series before or just got introduced to it via the reboot. It’s an excellent side-scrolling shooter and one with a lot of visual and audio variety.

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.

For those who have been waiting until all the entries have been released before deciding if it’s worth picking up, please know that the King’s Quest reboot is absolutely worth the time.

While a feeling of déjà vu and retreading familiar ground may spring up, The Forgotten Kingdom still musters enough originality and welcome content to hunt down to make Remnant II's second DLC outing a satisfying if not spectacular addition. What it may lack in true environmental and level design variety, it more than makes up for with new enemy types and testing boss fights alike. As divisive as its perilous puzzle and platforming segments may wind up being, The Forgotten Kingdom still makes sure to pepper such moments with the worthwhile gear and weapons we've come to expect. A case of more of the same, which in itself is no bad thing, The Forgotten Kingdom while not the most substantial or stand-out of efforts, is still very much a fitting reflection of Remnant II's greatest strengths.

In the end, what we’re left with is another enjoyable release in the Project Diva series even though this isn’t the game that will convert everyday folks into Miku diehards.

Even those who are unfamiliar with the franchise will likely enjoy the sheer fun combat and challenging opponents that Granblue Fantasy: Versus has to offer.

The way Telltale is able to manipulate your emotions so easily is astonishing, so it makes it all the more disappointing the rest of the episode doesn’t come together as well as it could have.