Unholy Heights is devilishly simple, and that will turn many off if they only play it for a few hours. It’s when the second floor is erected that the challenge becomes apparent, and that’s also when the addiction really set in for me.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2017‘s Master League is one of the best career modes I’ve ever played in a sports game, and it’s backed up by incredibly solid gameplay. Once you look at the disappointing lack of team licenses, players will find one of the most rewarding sports games available.

It could be argued that Psycho-Pass: Mandatory Happiness is not, in a traditional sense, a game, but even so it’s unbelievably entertaining. Story gamers will be in heaven, and fans of the anime are sure to find it just as delightful. I’ve never even seen the anime and I definitely found my own happiness within the stories I experienced.

Oceanhorn‘s gameplay isn’t as polished as the SNES title it attempts to emulate, and the level design never evokes the brilliant dungeons that the developer was inspired by. Every aspect of the game feels like a poor imitation even down to the Wind Waker art style that falls apart when seen up-close.

Both player selection and poor teammate AI could be improved by patches, but right now they make every match become frustrating in spots. It’s incredibly disappointing to see a game that gets so much right also proceed to get a few important things dead wrong. There is still fun to be had, especially in the Be A Pro mode, but the action on the ice isn’t nearly as satisfying as it should be.

God Eater 2: Rage Burst proves that without a shadow of a doubt, the series deserves a home on the console. The great depth, compelling combat and interesting enemies provide an fantastic counterpoint to the Monster Hunter brand, while also providing an exciting new sandbox for players to explore. Unfortunately, there are plenty of shortcoming associated with mediocre port work that prevent this iteration from fulfilling its full potential.

The game will only get better, and it’s already a feat of unique gameplay coupled with charming visuals and a sense that glory will come to the comrades that work the hardest!

Jotun is a great game for everything it does right, including its art and overall styling, but misses a lot of the key aspects that could make it a perfect journey to the halls of Valhalla.

The exciting, fun turn-based combat, too, is an absolute treat to revisit, even if I’d have liked to see more meaningful changes and improvements made to its systems. If you didn’t play the original game and are interested in diving into Trails of Cold Steel II right away, I implore you to go back and play its predecessor first; not only do I find that a superior game, but I can already imagine the bewilderment of the poor soul who attempts to go into this one’s insanely detailed lore without a hint of background information. On the other hand, for those folks who did play and enjoy, know that this second entry is just more of the same great thing, and that was good enough for me to have a really fun time.

The disparity between the repetitive majority and the engaging finale did cause me to like The Final Station after it was said and done, but it’s not enough to overlook the significant flaws along the journey.

Nobody is playing this game because it’s a technical mess, and I can’t recommend it to anyone due to that. If you want to play Verdun, then pick it up on PC. Sadly, the PlayStation 4 version is an inferior version that launched dead on arrival.

On the surface it would appear that Livelock is trying to bring something new and interesting to the PlayStation 4. Unfortunately, though perfectly competent as an action game, ends up falling flat on execution. The predictable storyline, inconsistent production values and lackluster variety mar what could have been a fun distraction during the summer’s AAA famine.

Besides the core concept being interesting, I really don’t have any other compliments to give Touhou Genso Rondo: Bullet Ballet. It’s a disappointment for a number of reasons, and it really sucks that a lot of North American gamers’ first experience with the Touhou series will be this bad spin-off.

I can’t imagine how painstaking it was for this team to perfectly balance the growing difficulty with the puzzles, building upon each puzzle learned and amping it up just a smidge. No room was above and beyond more difficult than the one prior; it was slow and steady growth, and one that will keep you glued to your controller until you finish it.

If you’ve been pining for an arcade flight combat game that will test your skills, Strike Vector EX is going to sit right with you. Controls are tight, though they do have a decent learning curve and a new way of thinking about an aerial combat game.

Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA X may start off too simple for returning players, but it opens up into a fun, yet familiar, rhythm game. The action is highly enjoyable, even if I was just frantically pressing butons, and I even found myself getting into some of the periphery features. It may not reinvent the series, but it’s yet another solid entry.

Attack on Titan is an excellent example of a passion project made right.

Assetto Corsa may succeed as a simulation, but it fails as a game. Clearly a ton of work has gone into making sure the cars handle correctly and that the tracks are as realistic as possible, which just makes the end result even more heartrending. It has a terrible user interface, isn’t fun to play and doesn’t feature any of the helpful tools that make Forza such an appealing game.

I don’t know what I expected with Valley, but this was not it. I was not prepared to find an exploration game with a powerful story, fun exploration mechanics, a unique twist on death, beautiful artwork, and one of the best video game soundtracks in the industry.

If you liked Limbo (or even if you didn’t, maybe?), or found yourself piqued just a little by what you’ve seen of Inside, then go snatch it up. It’s a rabbit hole that you’ll find comfort in diving into.

Alone With You provides an interesting ride for players, but doesn’t manage to fulfill its potential. The romantic side of the game feels underdeveloped, and I ran into bugs often enough to hamper my enjoyment. That said, it has an interesting enough story that is worth checking out and its shortcomings can’t undo a solid story that is told well.

This may not be the best Madden title ever, but it is definitely the most promising entry this console generation.

Worms W.M.D. has all the fun of the older games, combined with some genuinely unique vehicle and emplacement mechanics to see that this game feels different enough from previous entries to warrant a purchase.

The King of Fighters XIV is a fully featured fighting game. It still feels like its classic predecessors, but it has been updated in some important areas to feel like a modern take. Its roster is both a celebration of the series that also signifies that this is a new step forward. I’m excited to see KoF back in the spotlight, and I hope to see SNK continue building on this great installment.

Codemasters created a great foundation for themselves when they made F1 2015. It wasn’t the greatest F1 game ever, but it looked and ran great. Building upon that foundation, F1 2016 adds quite a few bells and whistles, along with a meaty career mode and an unforgiving Pro Career mode that is as much fun as it is difficult.

Once again, Eidos Montreal has created an engrossing, intense adventure that even FPS haters need to check out. Serious subject matter is explored; answers are not always cut-and-dry, much like in real life.

Ubisoft Chengdu’s UNO does exactly what it sets out to do, it’s a polished (although not perfect) digital version of the beloved card game. The lack of decks is disappointing, but it definitely delivers the same brand of fun that gamers had 10 years ago on Xbox 360.

It’s unfortunately obvious how much Bound wanted to be like Journey, but it’s even more unfortunate that they go so close and yet failed to fully capture everything amazing about Journey.