While less tiring than real world politics, Shape of America's first episode fails to capture the intrigue, tactical ambition, and most offensively the platform for in-game debate that should make you feel good about getting the upper hand on your climb to power. When I start the game out as a waiter, I want to feel good when I beat a senator at his own game. I want to feel good when I talk my way through corporate and political big wigs. I want a sense of accomplishment, not a quick payout and a pat on the back. Shape of America's biggest flaw may be that it portrays politics as a machine with barely any emotion; and while that may be true to a point, at least the real thing has the thrill of debate and discussion.

If you’re looking for a fun co-op game for your kids or looking to get someone you know into gaming through a non-violent, cute, easy-to-learn spy game, Hacktag is definitely a good choice. Don’t expect it to hold the interest of experienced players looking for a challenge though. If you’re a grammarian who can’t overlook terrible typos and Google Translated text, and have a problem with the morality of corporate espionage however, you might cringe quite a lot when booting this game up. The aforementioned players who will like this game, though, surely won’t care about that sort of thing.

It would have been easy for quite a few things to go wrong with a game like Aegis Defenders, from Kickstarter problems to difficulties mashing together its two types of gameplay, but, with the exception of some small hiccups, everything turned out pretty darned smooth. It’s a game I wouldn’t have a hard time recommending to most, but one that is a must for anyone with the opportunity to play through with a friend.

It's easy to pour countless hours into Deep Sixed, but it's just as easy to rage quit after a few minutes. There is a handy tutorial mission, but it in no way covers everything there is to do in the game. I'm sure this will scare many new players away, but if you take the time to learn the way your ship and manual work, it becomes quite rewarding to fix your ship like a pro and continue on with each new mission. And when things seem too dark, the ship's AI is usually pretty good at picking up the mood. She's silly and totally programmed with the good of co-operation in mind, so the player character becomes quite sassy with her. Indeed, I found that their relationship was always spot-on and made me laugh quite a bit.

I’ll keep playing because the story is engaging and I want to see what happens to Class VII, but the battles and exploration don’t hold the same spark that they did in the first. So if you are considering playing this, without having played the first, don’t. The first is a far better game and includes very similar content. If you play that and find that you are sufficiently interested in the story, then I’d recommend getting this game as well. But this is a game I would only recommend to JRPG fans or to players engaged with the ongoing exploits of Class VII.

I first saw a sample of Damsel a couple of years back at PAX Aus, and it looked great back then. But what you see at expos and events are often simply what the developers and/or publishers want you to see. But I can happily say that from what I’ve seen of the game, the PAX Aus display was a great indication of how much fun it is. With smooth controls, fun and varied levels and some lovely, colourful visuals, Damsel is looking like being one of my favourite platformers of recent time. I can’t wait to see how the other chapters evolve, but in the meantime, that top score looks gettable. Just one more turn should do it. Well, that's what I thought five attempts ago...so we'll see.

Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Thankfully, Kingdom Come: Deliverance is not a landslide, a mix of game and reality. It may not capture the appeal of the overall mainstream, but that’s okay. Anyone willing to take a dive into the niche waters of the gaming world, and not afraid of games being unforgiving, should definitely check this out. I love this game. Open your eyes, give this game a try and see.

Dragon Ball FighterZ is a great game that should be an automatic purchase for any fans of the Dragon Ball franchise, and is worth a hard look from anyone that may be intimidated to jump into their first fighting game. It’s too early to make claims about the game’s longevity, balance, and online community, but the pieces are certainly in place to for the game to have some legs.

Wartile’s strategy better reflects the reality of strategy; that you don’t have unlimited time to sit back and contemplate the minutiae of every action, often the most real strategy is spur of the moment, about reaction and improvisation. This is very much the realm that Wartile exists in. I also rarely see strategy games trying so hard to emulate board-games and I think this adds an almost stripped down/rustic feel to the gameplay. But Wartile also doesn’t go full-blown RTS, the cooldown periods still act as small turns in a way. With this in mind, Wartile could be the perfect game for turn-based strategy players looking to get into RTS, or even table-top players, looking to get into strategy video-games. Wartile is a solid addition to the genre, perhaps niche in terms of what it’s trying to do, but still certainly more innovative than most.

Overall, Wulverblade was a more enjoyable experience for me than beat 'em ups have been in the past. I enjoyed the visuals immensely, and they really helped to move the game along during parts that seemed to drag. But that's not to say that the actual gameplay is bad. If you enjoy the beat 'em genre, I'm certain that Wulverblade would appeal much more strongly to you than it did to me. Much like the bits of history scattered and hidden throughout, Wulverblade is a game that will appeal to those whom know what to expect out of this sort of game and like exactly that.

Dandara isn't a bad game, it's just perhaps not the game for me or for many others. The control choice has made it very niche, and while it's likely to perform much better on the Nintendo Switch, it just feels like it doesn't quite have a home here on the PC. If you're willing to take the leap, you'll be greeted with beautiful pixel art visuals and candy for your eardrums - and that's fantastic. But, it comes at the expense of having to wade through gameplay that never really feels like it fits if you use a keyboard and mouse, and that only improves slightly if you use a gamepad. This game was meant for touchscreen, and most PC gamers don't utilize touch screen controls as there has never been a major reason to do so, and that remains unchanged even after Dandara's arrival.

Zwei: TAA is the kind of game that, for reasons both tangible and not, are infused with such a pure and powerful sense of joy that it’s just hard not to smile. I don’t have a history with the series - or with many JRPGs, really - yet the childlike wonder that effortlessly permeates the art, dialogue, and titular adventure still managed to make me feel the nostalgic yearn of simpler times. It’s a game that has its share of rough edges, but one that I don’t find terribly difficult to recommend.

I think the Rise of the Tomb Kings DLC is as successful as Norsca; it gives us a race who not only add re-playability to the original campaign, but bring their own flavour. The race-specific mechanics make their campaign feel unique, especially the lack of army upkeep, which pushes the boat out and will necessitate most Total War players rethinking their strategy. This is a good omen for the future of Total War: Warhammer 2. It shows us that even though the Mortal Empires campaign still needs work, that even though Norsca won’t be added till May, CA is still keeping what’s important in sight. They are sticking to their formula of race-specific mechanics, based on lore, to create a distinct playable experience. And I think Rise of the Tomb Kings is another example of that successful formula.

The speed at which Railway Empire progresses is similar to that of 2003’s Sid Meier’s Railroads! and that moves it decidedly outside of the realm of rail transport simulation titles such as Transport Fever and Railroad Tycoon. I was a bit afraid at first that this would hamper my enjoyment but nothing could be further from the truth. It’s a tremendous amount of fun and sinking 80 hours into the game has left me far from bored. I keep going back for more and I find new strategies to up my game with every playthrough. For an action oriented rail game that was never meant to cater to my train tycoon simulator itch, that’s a deviously masterful trick.

Players more loving of a slow and contemplative gaming experience are certain to love InnerSpace, finding that it offers them a series of strange and beautiful worlds to explore.

I have to admit, I haven’t been this invested in a sentient device since I watched Wall-E. Although the game has us following the journey of Rumu, it is the story that is going on around him that kept me engaged throughout. The puzzles are not overly difficult, allowing for the story to flow wonderfully well. The interaction between Rumu and Sabrina allow for the perfect blend of robotic and human emotions which become more human-like as the story unfolds. And the voice acting of Sabrina perfectly complements the dramatic nature of the narrative. Hints of humour also sneak into the game to lighten the mood in the game that provides some wonderful insights into family and getting a work/life balance evenly proportioned.

Spellforce 3 is one of the best blends between RTS and RPG in gaming. Staying true to its roots, the game is - first and foremost - made for its fans but it is welcoming to those who are new to the series. A well fleshed out campaign, excellent writing, and satisfying combat are the hallmark of any great RPG. Spellforce 3 adds conquest, base building and RTS battles - what’s not to love.

Despite the gripping story and the intriguing mystery, Black Mirror has a lot of software issues that detract from the enjoyment of the gameplay experience. I can’t help but feel that if the game had been designed from the get-go with a more Book of Unwritten Tales type control scheme and gameplay experience, most of my gripes would be dealt with. If you play games for their story, then do play Black Mirror. Just beware that you will have to suffer through the gameplay to get to it.

Yi and the Thousand Moons is a fun experience, I just don’t know if it’s fun enough to make it’s incredibly short run time worth the cost.

If you’re really desperate for historical Total War content, then Empire Divided is fairly typical, but it’s certainly nothing new. And if you want a Total War game that better reflects crisis in terms of game design and narrative, then I’d say, just buy Total War: Attila.

Tartarus is a short ride: my first run-through lasted just over four hours, and I didn't really feel the urge to go back through it again. But my time within, really had me thinking. There is an untapped market in games like this, one that Tartarus may have very well spearheaded here in 2017. I wouldn't be surprised if in a few years we see narrative, atmospheric, logic-puzzle games with a sci-fi flavor making a resurgence. Tartarus is a ride worth taking, at least once.

Hand of Fate 2 retains the same basic gameplay of the original, but the new additions to the game make it a vastly improved product. Yes, I still have an issue with luck determining the outcome of much of the game, but this falls both ways - good and bad. It's just that the bad rolls are much more frustrating. But this is the only real issue I have with Hand of Fate 2. The visuals set a wonderful tone, as do the music and dialogue, but the smooth combat and the addition of the companions make battles feel fairer and more complete, whilst also providing support to the enjoyable storylines.

Overall, I'm impressed with Uurnog Uurnlimited's open approach to puzzle solving and its simple yet effective graphics. Each puzzle's solution is as unique as the player can make it, allowing for some silly and rewarding puzzle solving. I appreciate that the game takes a hard penalty on death, but resetting puzzles has the same penalties as a death, which feels excessive and otherwise limiting on a puzzle game that relies on and is made stronger by its multiplicity of solutions.

Hyakki Castle isn’t for everyone, that much is apparent. I’m not even sure if I’d necessarily say it’s a game I’ll get the urge to play often in the ever growing landscape of various dungeon crawlers. But, its setting and its approach to the party system were intriguing enough to keep me hooked for the time being. For Asakusa Studio’s first outing into the gaming world, I think they have a solid product on hand even if it’s a bit flawed in the aspect of keeping players in-the-know. If you’re a fan of The Legend of Grimrock, or Eye of the Beholder, then Hyakki Castle may be worth your time.

So the sport hasn’t changed apart from an increased roster, but if you have a previous installment of the series, you may as well stick to it, unless having the latest crop of pro wrestling stars is of utmost importance to you. But, if you’re looking to get into some wrestling for the PC, then the monopoly 2K Sports holds on licensed wrestling games means that even though WWE 2K18 has a heap of issues, it is unfortunately still the best available.

Injustice 2 is a big, bold, expansive love letter to fans of DC comics and fighting games in general, and its sequel improves on the original in most every way. A deep roster ripe for customization and enough quality game modes worth spending time with will ensure you’ve got enough to keep you busy for quite some time. Though a few issues hold NetherRealms’ latest back from being truly exemplary, there are enough positives here to keep the whole experience feeling pretty super.

So Boss 101 is a strange beast, at the same time jam-packed with guns, costumes, and perks, while also and deeply lacking any features that make time investment seem worthwhile. There’s an argument to be made that this makes it the perfect game to pick up and play in short bursts, but there are better options out there, so I can’t really recommend it for that either.

Despite a lack of depth, the game has a frantic quality to it that has the potential to be entertaining in that tablet-game sort of way. But it’s not enough, unfortunately. I can’t shake the feeling that two intoxicated game designers worked out TransRoad: USA on a beermat during a drinking binge in their local pub. The concept lends itself well for a management sim but it hasn't been developed into something that actually works well enough to be enjoyed beyond a few days. As it stands, TransRoad: USA is more of a proof of concept than an actual game.