If nothing else, Triangle Strategy shows that Square Enix has some fire in its turn-based tactical engine. It just needs to balance its scales between exposition and gameplay a little better.

Pikuniku is a fun puzzle game based in a fascinating dystopian world. It’s look and feel gives it a charming aesthetic that draws you in, and its solid controls coupled with balanced puzzles makes you stay a while.

Spacelines from the Far Out was an unexpected delight. The premise itself is just bananas, but the execution is also excellent as you figure out what will get you from A to B with as few holes in your spacecraft as possible.

As it is, it's an interesting and wholly engrossing exercise in survival that I enjoyed more with every hour that passed. Don't go into the game looking for any sort of Metal Gear gratification, and you'll come out relatively pleased with what's on offer.

Return to Monkey Island is an enjoyable game that I will definitely be telling my nephews and niece to play. It left me wanting more and now that the introduction is over, the next installment should provide the story progression that I was hoping for with this one. If nothing else this game will serve as a reminder to never say never. Ordinarily when a small company is bought out by a multibillion dollar conglomerate it usually goes quietly into the night never to be heard from again. The fact that this game was made at all is a truly remarkable accomplishment. Terrible Toybox and Devolver Digital have overcome the impossible and opened the door for more. Until then might I suggest playing through the entire original series as well as befriending the three headed monkey that’s behind you.

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is a souls-like game that takes us to a fictional ancient China based on folklore and mythology, but it also puts some spins on the formula that make this an interesting action-RPG in its own right.

Herdling is a fairly linear game that wraps up in about six hours. Despite its relatively short playtime, Herdling does a decent job at capturing the unspoken bond that forms between a herder and their animals, while showcasing the many facets that come with the role. Although Herdling could certainly stand to be longer, artificial length may not necessarily improve the game. As much as I would have liked more time with my loyal companions, the length is appropriate for the type of story Herdling is trying to tell, and its brevity doesn’t diminish the journey it offers. This is an adventure that will tug at your heartstrings, while leaving you with a handful of bittersweet memories and screenshots to hold on to. If you are willing to spend an afternoon opening yourself to a moving story told through guiding gestures and the steady rumble of hooves, it would behoove you to give Herdling a go.

Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time is a faithful adaptation of the beloved series. Much more than a simple tie-in game, Battle Through Time provides great gameplay with a variety of weapons and abilities, even though the skill tree leaves a bit to be desired. With characters and a story so true to the source material, Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time is an excellently executed adaptation that Samurai Jack fans will adore.

Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania delivers a mostly delicious and nearly never-ending buffet of bananas and challenges to keep pretty much any player rolling for a good, long time.

Katana Zero is an inspired effort. Askiisoft could have easily relied on the action formula alone, called it a day, and it would have been a solid indie release. However, Katana Zero dares to go bolder, with a story that takes more than one left turn, and an innovative dialogue system that can paint both the story and the main character in a different light. No matter how you opt to play this game, Katana Zero is one of the best Hotline Miami homages I've seen yet.

Was everything perfect? Not at all. The biggest frustration came from the gamepad controls. I started playing with my preferred d-pad input but found that aiming the water hose was nearly impossible until I swapped to the control stick. The adventure also ends just as things were really getting heated up. Nuclear Blaze understands the value of not wearing out a welcome. Just when I had decided that I was smitten with the game, I reached its narrative conclusion. If the idea was to leave me wanting more, then the mission was successful. Because this is still a small indie project based on a game jam submission, potential buyers should understand that Nuclear Blaze does not burn for long, but it does, in fact, burn twice as bright.

It is worth a look if you have even a passing interest in a game of footie.

Series fans will find a lot to love here, even if Shadows doesn’t quite take the step of truly challenging itself to be more than what we might have expected it to be. The moment-to-moment gameplay is fun, Naoe and Yasuke are both compelling in their own way, and the backdrop of Japan really does make for a beautiful stage on which everything plays out.

Overall, Etherborn is a short and sweet puzzle platformer that centers around ideas of identity and purpose. The story has something to say about human existence, and what it means to be a person. Not only does the narrative provide some food for thought, but it works to drive the gameplay. The platforming and puzzle solving is exceptional thanks to the neat gravity mechanic and the well executed camerawork. Etherborn is a unique puzzling experience that brings something special to the genre.

Hearts of Stone is a great addition to The Witcher 3 if all you’re looking for is more of the same. If you’re expecting something game changing or different, then this isn’t a DLC worth your time.

The visuals are stunning, and the soundtrack excels at aiding in conveying the gravity of the bad, as well as the moments of light and joy included in the game. Overall, if you enjoy games with deeper meaning hidden beneath the surface, you’ll love Endling. If you enjoy games that make you cry, you’ll certainly find that with Endling. Bugs and minor issues aside, Endling is one of the more moving games I’ve played this year, and I highly recommend it. Just be sure to have some tissues on hand, just in case.

Minor quibbles aside, Full Throttle hits all the right notes as deftly in 2017 as it did in 1995. Not only do its story, voice acting, puzzles, and audiovisual accoutrements hold up, younger fans weaned on Telltale's interactive movies might take to it due to its balance of puzzles and plot.

I loved the previous titles in the series, and although this new one can miss the mark at times, it's a beautiful treasure hunting romp that brings back that same Uncharted feeling.

Dirt 5 is a departure from earlier entries in the series, as it goes full arcade racer. That’s to its credit though, as the actual racing is satisfying and exciting. This means that the vehicles and their customization options feel a bit shallow, which could disappoint some fans. Thanks to an incredible Playgrounds mode and some pretty next-gen visuals, Dirt 5 is a solid offering from Developer Codemasters.

Lost Ember is a great adventure through a world reclaimed by nature following the days of man. Only taking a few hours to get through, it manages to tell a meaningful and necessary story without ever overstaying its welcome. The visually pleasing art style coupled with some neat gameplay mechanics are enough to overcome some gameplay hiccups. Lost Ember is an experience that will stick with well past the credit roll.

An impressive showing both as far as first-round Nintendo Switch games go and puzzle titles in general. It’s a bargain for the amount of time you’ll get out of it, and it’s rife with color, intrigue, challenging puzzles, and adorable graphics. The only real problems arise from the fact that it’s meant to be played with others, so if that’s not your bag you won’t get as much out of it. For everyone else, however, this is a system-seller, especially since you can enjoy it on the go. You’ll want to cut in on a Snipperclips session, that’s for sure.

LEGO Builder’s Journey is a very relaxing puzzler with some cool concepts and ideas. The game is incredibly serene, as its peaceful tunes and minimalist design are quite relaxing. The integration of ray tracing and Nvidia DLSS make for a visually stunning game. LEGO Builder’s Journey is refreshingly original take on the LEGO series, and represents a direction that I hope to see the franchise head in the future.

Bravely Default modernized the classic Final Fantasy formula, but Bravely Second improves on it in almost every way.

If you’re looking for a new FPS game to pick up and you’ve been a fan of Call of Duty in the past, then Modern Warfare could be a great reason for you to return to the series and see what has changed and what has remained the same.

Granblue Fantasy: Relink doesn’t have a particularly engrossing storyline, nor does it rewrite the book when it comes to anime-styled character-action games. But it doesn’t want, or even need, to do either. It doesn't even seem to care much if you don't know what Granblue is in the first place. What Cygames brings to the table is polish and energy; there’s a liveliness to this game that makes every minute you spend with it a joy. Rock-solid performance (on PS5/performance mode), unique character mechanics, a massive soundtrack, and even a great dub (Ferry baby-talking her poltergeist pooches sends me) are all a part of that feeling. If you've missed out on Granblue Fantasy so far because of regional barriers or not being into fighting games, here’s your chance to see what it’s all about in a way that couldn’t be friendlier.

I can't eloquently explain why I like it so much after spending most of my words rattling off negatives. I just like it. If you want to escape into the best Assassin’s Creed world in the series, this is the ticket.

Doom on Switch is a triumph of the human spirit. It is just one more feather in Nintendo’s cap as third party developers are flocking to the Switch. Panic Button deserves extremely high praise for this port. It may not be perfect, but Doom on Switch offers players a new way to play one of the finest shooters to come out in recent history. The ability to pick it up and play for short bursts outweighs many of the technical limitations.

Though it does sag with some questionable hitboxes and a glut of menus, mastering the interlacing combat systems in Nioh 2 is deeply rewarding. The developers at Team Ninja have crafted a deviously challenging experience that is bound to test even the best of players.