Rise & Shine's cute look lulls you into thinking that this is going to be an awesome game. Hand-drawn backgrounds and characters look great, the animation is smooth, and the attention to detail is everywhere. But the controls are insufferable: it's difficult to target your enemies while playing on gamepad, and good luck dashing and jumping with a keyboard.

Another embarrassment in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. I'm now inclined to think that "the Fire Warrior curse" is a real thing.

If you want to take part in an exciting adventure and you're willing to suffer through annoying technical problems, I think you will get your share of fun out of The Last Guardian. But you have to be patient as this game starts incredibly slowly.

On one hand, Drive on Moscow has good enemy AI, lots of variation in just one scenario, and online multiplayer populated with players. On the other hand, it's a pity that the studio decided to milk the concept as much as it can.

It's a game for Batman fans who really don't care about the form. Or for fans of Telltale's products who aren't picky about the content.

WWE 2K17 deserves the same verdict as its predecessors: it's better than before, but still far from "perfect" or even just "good".

Steep has managed to exceed my expectations, and now, after a long break, we finally have a triple-A game where you can shred down an Alpine mountain on a snowboard and fly using a wingsuit.

Halcyon 6 has two serious problems: uneven pacing and inability to explain its rules to the player.

Shadows of Kurgansk also features a handful of character stats, hallucinations and even angling, none of which are a reason to touch this game.

An overly difficult, monotonous shooter married with an equally primitive endless runner.

Yesterday Origins marks a welcome return of Pendulo Studios after a lengthy break and makes the original game look like a paltry demo. I would call this return triumphant if not for numerous technical problems.

It's easy to rule an entire genre of soccer management sims when your worst enemy is a weak indie title like Retro Football Boss. But now, Sports Interactive faces a rising threat of stagnation, and as the developers continue to go around in circles, the word "refund" will be cropping up more often in the user comments section on Steam.

A weak retelling of a mediocre fantasy book.

This interactive aquarium is a sight to behold, but not enticing enough to make me spend one more minute underwater.

GE2: Rage Burst reminds of both Monster Hunter and Freedom Wars. Its bestiary is huge, but the locations are small and plain-looking. The biggest disappointment is the lack of cross-platform multiplayer. Good luck finding opponents online, because there are also regional restrictions in play.

The heroine is always surrounded by dangerous forest creatures, but the game is not scary at all.

Ubisoft Montreal almost made a GTA of their own. On the second try. For those who think that "funny" public group in social networks are actually funny. If you do not subscribe to the idea that you have to entertain yourself rather than be entertained in a video game, better stay in Los Santos.

After so many years, Daedalic still couples technical mastery with silly amateur mistakes. On one hand, there is a story that screams "Shoot me now!", ill-conceived puzzles, and awful QTE sequences. On the other hand, it's an audio-visual feast in an alluring world with cute characters that, sadly, do not have much to do in this story.

The excitement gradually wears off as matches turn into grind. Killing Floor 2 can be extremely fun when taken in small doses.

FF15 looks like a huge patchwork quilt made out of dozens shoddily sewn little pieces. Sometimes you can't help but marvel at the incredible attention to detail, some ideas (like photos, for example) are a stroke of genius, but then it comes to the crux of the matter… and the hair stands up on the back of your neck.

Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun follows the gold standard of this sub-genre set by the Commandos series: big maps that feel alive, different playable characters, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, and lots of ways to complete a level.

Beholder lacks the elegance and atmosphere of Papers, Please, and you won't be replaying its short campaign too often, but these almost real characters and gut-wrenching decisions you'll make to turn their world into a living hell, are absolutely worth your time.

PES 2017 is an invitation to the best virtual soccer you've seen in years, if you're willing to overlook the lack of official licenses and some annoying technical glitches.

Tyranny sometimes doesn't feel like a game in its own. I could not shake the feeling that I was playing an extended prologue to some awesome, not yet released RPG. You can play through this story in very different ways, exploring various shades of gray during your travels, but you won't be able to escape the shockingly abrupt ending.

Arkane made a very polished stealth/action hybrid, but those expecting an emotionally charged story filled with dramatic twists, like in the first game, will come away disappointed.

Short, but enjoyable single-player campaign blending Shogo, Portal 2 and Mirror's Edge compliments the familiar multiplayer, which is equally fun and infuriating.

Utterly devoid of any semblance of charm, Detective Hayseed is nowhere near the level of classic adventure games.

It's a smart game. It's also unforgiving and unaffectionate. Inversus is so clean-cut and direct that it rewards nothing but skill. Compare it to other party games like TowerFall, BlazeRush, Nidhogg, and you will see that they thrive on chaos and uncertainty, and turn them into their main source of fun.

Get ready to scream obscenities at your screen while trying to guess the exact placement of the umpteenth wooden plank down to the pixel. Yep, this "feature" that plagued all the previous games in this series, has managed to slip through yet again.

Those who regard Skyrim as a virtual tourism app, will enjoy exploring every nook and cranny in Hitman. If I had to pick just one reason to play this game, it's because you can immerse yourself in its meticulously created mini-worlds.

If you hated Age of Decadence mainly because of its graphics, then you can safely skip Dungeon Rats. But if you enjoyed AoD's combat and you still crave for me, this spin-off will sate your appetite.

Space engineers are trending in horror games, but you'd be better off spending your time with Amanda Ripley from Alien: Isolation or Isaac Clarke from the Dead Space series.

This is basically the original Legends of Eisenwald with less content and at a lower price. It has only one "sandbox" map (plus the tutorial scenario), a couple of basic fractions, and minuscule amount of new gameplay elements all wrapped in a mildly interesting plot.

Visual Concepts just needs to add some spit and polish to turn this game into the best sports sim of our time.

Infinite Warfare has a lengthy list of things that should be fixed, but that being said, for the first time in many years I enjoyed playing a Call of Duty game.

The creators of Hybrid Wars claim that they were inspired by classic isometric twin-stick shooters from the 90s. I wonder what games they were inspired by, because Hybrid Wars is nothing like the good old games from that decade.

Despite the weak diplomacy layer and clumsy UI, Civilization 6 as a whole outshines its shortcomings.

Battlefield 1 is an exemplary multiplayer shooter and, looks like, the only decent game about World War I in the entire history of the FPS genre.

A shoddy rehash of a classic RTS whose creators tried their best to put in as little effort as possible.

But the worst innovation is weapon crafting. Right in the middle of a match. "But it's not going to work!", you'll say. You are absolutely right.

A simplified version of The Banner Saga with a couple of cool ideas and boatload of mistakes in game design.

It's a game made of contradictions, and seriously hampered by unnecessary derivative elements and a hole-ridden script.

It's more like a collection of Sherlock-themed mini-games with a AAA-range price tag, rather than a seamless experience.

Song of the Deep's first two hours can lull you into thinking that this is an awesome game: nice relaxing soundtrack, sensitive gameplay rules, a seemingly wide selection of abilities and their combinations. In reality, you'll get annoying encounters, boring boss fights, and repetitive puzzles.

A worthy heir to The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. It compensates for its narrative shortcomings with immersive atmosphere, top-notch combat system and flawless pace.

Five years ago, Virginia would've enjoyed a warmer welcome. Today, it's just one of the many two-hour long walking simulators.

Obduction is a good-looking, mysterious, boring, annoying, sadistic adventure game that doesn't give a damn if you're having fun or not.

A great excuse to get acquainted with the genre for those who were born after it died, and a great exercise for nostalgic thumbs.

It feels as if Meridian: Squad 22 was made only to disappear in the vast sea of mediocre indie games.

Livelock's worst bane is the abundance of heavily armored enemies whose health bars take a lot of time to chew through.

A fun, varied and relaxing skyscraper sim. It can be a little bit formal at times, and there are some glaring deficiencies, but it is a welcome return to this theme nonetheless.

Mighty No. 9 has its moments, but they're all hidden behind piles of illogical traps, and even the lowest difficulty setting here is hardcore.

Despite the "Can't stop the progress" tagline, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is pretty much a rehash of the previous game.

An unpretentious niche RTS designed only for those who crave that "old school" multiplayer.

Even the cooperative mode can't smooth out the many bumps of Tempest.

If you a fan of the original Space Rangers, please avoid Space Rangers: Quest like the plague. This little ugly Frankenstein monster tugs at your nostalgia strings non-stop, but the more familiar parts you recognize in its body, the worse you feel.

The biggest letdown of this Master of Orion is a complete lack of meaningful space exploration. There are too few anomalies, pirate bases and monsters in the galaxy, and everything feels empty.

An unfinished prototype of a game featuring lots of messed-up gameplay elements and too many ambitions.

Please, resist the temptation to write this game off as yet another survival horror, and give it a chance. You will discover pixel-perfect art, a neat combination of familiar gameplay mechanics, and a great story with a cool twist.

For a horror game, Phantaruk is not scary at all. The persistent monster can kill you in seconds, but it's more annoying than frightening. The same goes for the timer - thanks to the game's linear structure, you always know the next life-saving syringe is just around the corner. Zombified test subjects are so badly animated that you can't help but laugh while trying to avoid them.

Well-written text briefings between missions is the only saving grace of this otherwise boring, stuffy game.

A collection of horrendously bad mini-games, hastily glued together by an asinine story.

Compared to their previous creations, Blendo Games shows some promising progress. So far, they've mastered interactive introductions and tutorials. Still waiting for a full-fledged game, though.

A hit and miss adventure that tries to pay homage to Tim Schaffer's undying classics from the 90s. It does feel like old school, and sometimes, it's even funny, but never reaches that level of brilliance.

Battlefleet Gothic: Armada is really eager to eat your time, and, since this game is chock-full of micromanagement, it can be too overwhelming at times. It can also be a lot of fun when you play online with actual people, so pick it up if you're looking for fresh multiplayer experiences.

If you've never played "metroidvania" type of games, Ghost 1.0 is an excellent entry point.

A roguelike with skin-deep gameplay mechanics that tries to mimic Dark Souls and ultimately fails.

Empty and lifeless - these two words describe everything that there is in Krai Mira.

At first, TurnOn strikes you as a bolt of lightning. Wow, the first Russian indie game released under the ID@Xbox banner, and with nice graphics and sound to boot. After the initial shock wears off, you notice the roughness around the edges, the lack of multiplayer with leaderboards (for musical levels), irregular checkpoint placement, the hero jumping through textures…

Frozen State can be a lot of fun at times. Where else can you plod through a heavy snowstorm in a ruined Siberian town while drinking porto to warm yourself up? Just don't expect too much fun here.

Auroch Digital failed in its attempt to make a simplified version of Armageddon Empires. By removing the most difficult elements, the developers robbed the game of its charm, and new gameplay modes and improved UI can't fill the void.

A mindless, clunky, tedious, boring, and difficult for the sake of difficulty game.

Fans of police procedurals and stylish games will definitely enjoy this original hybrid of management game and a visual noir novel.

Boring puzzles and at times jarring low-budget visuals stir a lot of negative emotions, but all this anger and frustration will be wiped away by the narrative tide of sincere emotions and soothing nostalgia. Ragnar Tornquist creates colorful character, and writes witty dialogue; he knows how to carry on the intrigue, make you laugh and, when the gods of drama demand it, sucker-punch you with full force.

Accompanied by an 80s horror movie soundtrack, death screams and sounds of gunshots, a merciless zombie horde shambles through the darkened streets, ready to win over your hearts.

Ashes of the Singularity, like a time machine, brings us back to the era when every RTS clone wanted to look unique and innovative.

You will probably remember three hours of playing Inside as three best hours of computer entertainment in a very long time.

Shoddy graphics, clunky camera, a stump of a story - this game is rife with shortcomings. But, if you yearn for Commandos-style gameplay, this is probably the best option for you so far.

Breached feels like a demo version rather than a full-fledged game.

Hearts of Iron 4 in one word is "optimization". There is now proper gameplay mechanics instead of duct-taped hacks and artificial restrictions seen in previous installments; the AI, freed from dozens of scripts, now thinks and acts on its own, while the game itself is more accessible and comprehensible, but still offers the same depth.

Batman: The Telltale Series is off to a lacklustre start, and even if you're a die-hard fan of the Caped Crusader, or you simply hope to see a glimmer fresh ideas in Telltale's assembly line products, I'm afraid you're out of luck.

A beautiful, unnecessarily protracted, empty shell of a game.

Neon Chrome has a handful of bizarre shortcomings, which is surprising since this is the game from the makers of Crimsonland. Nevertheless, just like Leap of Fate, it brings new ideas to its stagnating genre.

It seems the developers were hard pressed to release the game before the movie's premiere. This kind of rush never ends well.

Mirror's Edge: Catalyst brings the series back where it started - to broken dreams and still untapped potential.

Blood and Wine should be used as an interactive workshop for other developers to show them how to create awesome game expansions.

Mediocrity in every way. The developers of Kathy Rain should have realized early on that they are unable to create a work of art with interesting supernatural elements and human emotions.

Stellaris feels like two games of completely different quality. One game offers boring linear stand-offs against a tame AI, the other is an excellent multiplayer platform.

An avalanche of poorly thought-out game design decisions makes it impossible to enjoy The Way.

I wonder what horrors await me in Dead Effect 3, and I mean it not in a good way because this game fails as first-person shooter.

You won't find a shred of originality here, but who cares! This is Doom you were looking for. Or, technically, its remake.

Fighting feels sluggish. Come on, this is supposed to be wrestling as seen on TV! Even though there is more moves and combos than in Virtua Fighter 5, the action doesn't "click" as good as it should.

I fell in love with Team Fortress 2 because in that game, you win by being smart and considerate instead of quickly sniping off everyone you see. Overwatch improves on this concept tenfold.

Despite truly ancient visuals, this is the best heir of Crimsonland that I've ever played.

Walking around Philadelphia, you may stumble upon a place where some madman was conducting sadistic experiments of people, or an old man's house packed to the rafters with traps, and you realize that the developers of Homefront: The Revolution do have talent. Unfortunately, instead of an original game, they produced a ho-hum FPS that tries to please everyone but falls flat in execution.

Don't Starve Together does little to fix the original's glaring problems, but still, conquering the wilderness together with friends is a lot of fun.

A devilishly fast, fun, exciting multiplayer platformer, SpeedRunners is an excellent party game when playing in Steam's Big Picture mode.

It will take you around 6 hours to beat Shadwen, but I suggest you avoid it altogether. This game is not worth your time.