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.