It's true that from an innovation standpoint, The Banner Saga 3 doesn't do a lot different than its predecessors, but that also means the same great tactical RPG system that has been in place since the beginning makes one final push for the endgame. That endgame is what really makes the game so worthwhile. With heavy decisions to be made and fantastic character closure, The Banner Saga 3 is the most riveting and remarkable the series has ever been, and it establishes the trilogy as one of the greats in gaming.

Overcooked! 2 is a Michelin Star game. As a co-op experience, there are few games better at bringing together players of different skill levels for some fun.

No Man's Sky is tough to recommend because it doesn't nearly have mass appeal. It's a grueling game for far too long and even after that its loop is still too freeform for most players. For the right kind of player, however, it can be an exciting adventure filled with memorable moments and a real sense of discovery. With multiple intriguing storylines that can be chased or ignored, a ton of equipment and upgrades to unlock, and intuitive, easy to use base-building, there's a universe of possibilities to see, provided you can first get off the ground.

Whilst The Spectrum Retreat is an enjoyable, well-paced puzzler, it never quite hits the heights of other similarly styled puzzle games. You learn the backstory at the same pace as your character, which means you face the twists and turns together, but it feels like the story could have been expanded on more. The puzzles themselves are never too difficult, but challenging enough to hold your attention. Overall, it's a short but sweet puzzle game that whose greatest fault is coming after several similar but better games.

This is Milestone's best MXGP title to date, improving the graphics, improving the physics, the handling, and the realism, all whilst keeping the title accessible to players of all levels.

For fans of Burnout’s crash mode and the first Danger Zone, Danger Zone 2 offers more of the same addictive gameplay. It’s simple, but there’s a certain joy to creating catastrophic wrecks that other games simply can’t match. Each level plays out as a puzzle mixed with an automotive calamity that you’ll need to solve and the system really works. You’ll enjoy reaching those high scores and then moving on to the next level.

Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion is a great introduction to turn-based combat for those who need such a thing. Its systems work well and the repainting of typical RPG elements with Adventure Time hues is a joy for fans. Unfortunately, the combat is so easy that for many fans, especially adults, it can all feel like it's mind-numbingly simple. Still, if you're a big enough fan of the franchise and just want another game set in the world of Ooo, this is the best Adventure Time game to date.

Mugsters is a game that contains a good amount of entertainment, and the short length allows for some quick, explosion-based enjoyment. Nonetheless, every so often, the good times can be diminished by small irritants and annoyances that begin to add up. Most of the game will see you repeating the same tasks over and over again with a few tweaks and changes.

In the previous episode, The Council proved to be more than a one-episode wonder. Now it's shown it can even avoid the dreaded middle episode slump that so often befalls episodic games such as this. With a huge plot twist, the story is beginning to take on a whole different shape. Meanwhile, smart RPG-infused conversations and more interesting branching paths keep it all well worth another trip to the mansion.

Earthfall is a decent try at filling the Left 4 Dead 3 hole in our hearts, but it's rarely strong enough to be anything other than a lesser imitation of that classic series. Occasionally, the AI director will put on its best show and it'll feel exactly as fans of this sort of game want it to feel, but those moments are too few and far between. With flat characters, AI issues on both sides of the war, and above all else, some glaring pacing problems, Earthfall is a tough sell when the game it's cribbing so closely is backward compatible and still superior a decade later.

Candle: The Power of the Flame took a while to come to consoles but it was definitely worth the wait. The game's beautiful art style and storybook narration perfectly balance the calm gameplay offered by the puzzle platformer. The challenging puzzles offer a distinct sense of satisfaction when they're solved, even if some of the clues are a little too well hidden. On the downside, character movement is clunky and the platforming is the worst part of the game, but the puzzles are so plentiful that this doesn't feel like a major detraction. Those who thrive on brainteasers will love Candle.

It's possible to have fun playing this game, but only for one short burst during your very first game. After that, you'll be questioning why you ever spent your time with this one in the first place.

The racing on offer in The Crew 2 is fun and there are a wide variety of different events and vehicles that will keep you entertained. For some genre fans, that may be enough, but sadly, it’s a game that feels like a jack of all trades and a master of none. Throw in some odd design choices, a dull story, and lukewarm presentation and The Crew 2 is an ambitious game that doesn’t achieve its potential, nor does it approach the standard of some other open-world racers available today.

Gone are the moral choices, instead replaced with Battle Runes and Portal Travel to mix things up a bit, something this would have achieved had they not been relegated to the final part of the game. Despite this, the game's familiar basic hidden object and puzzle solving gameplay will still appeal to the casual crowd and will provide a pleasant 3-4 hour jaunt through a magical fantasy world in a bid to prevent another catastrophe.

All-Star Fruit Racing is as sweet as its name implies. With an irresistibly cheerful aesthetic, plenty of game modes, great track variation, and good customization options all built on top of a fun kart racing foundation, there's no reason to expect genre fans won't adore this game. Audio problems get in the way of making it exceptionally great, but in every other way, it's exactly what you would want from a kart racer and then some.

Players are challenged to use their strategic muscles both in building their plane and crew and when taking them into action, with build choices having a significant impact on gameplay. Challenge Mode provides an alternative to the campaign and a chance to experiment with different builds while completing wave objectives. Altogether, it's well worth the plane ticket.

Red Faction Guerrilla Re-Mars-tered won't be winning any awards for Remaster of the Year, but blowing stuff up is still so much fun that it works. The explosive gameplay brings enjoyment to side, story and DLC missions. Re-Mars-tered is a nice way for new or returning players to experience everything Guerrilla offered a decade ago — well, almost.

For fans of Prey, the idea of a roguelite DLC might have filled them with trepidation, but Mooncrash is an experience that shouldn't be missed. The basic gameplay remains the same but the roguelite style makes the expansion feel like a new experience rather than more of the same. The Survival Mode rules add tension and unpredictability to a new environment, and the increasing difficulty means that players can never become too complacent.

In an age of remasters that don't always feel earned, Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is one for which fans have been rightfully clamoring. Vicarious Visions' recreations are simply stunning. The nostalgia overflows from this collection for those that played them so many years ago, and if you're new to the series, they mostly still hold up today.

Minor problems and bugs stop the game from being absolutely spotless, but aside from that, the game is everything you could want in a simulation game. At some point you've probably wished Jurassic Park really existed. For now, this is the closest you can get.

The story has impact on both a base level and philosophically, and will no doubt leave you with questions to consider for days after you finish if you enjoy that kind of thing. I wish I could have more games like NieR: Automata, but I'll probably be waiting a while — it's only so often a game this excellent comes around.

The Incredibles makes its debut in LEGO form with this one, and that alone should entice anyone who is enthused for either brand. The bugs are annoying and the voice acting is just about as bad sometimes, but the open world crimefighting, Pixar cameos, and perfect pairing of these two brands makes LEGO The Incredibles a fun family game, even if it's not quite super.

MotoGP 18 is a clear step forward from its predecessor with the previously used proprietary engine already looking dated. However, it still feels like a transitional title as Milestone brings the UE4 engine to the franchise for the first time. The latest installment reinforces the studio's strengths with the physics, handling, and racing remaining top notch but it also highlights Milestones continuing struggles with the visual presentation.

The roots of the Shift franchise may well lie in flash games but Shift Quantum brings the franchise to consoles in style. The game's Shift mechanic is easy to understand, but when different gameplay mechanics are introduced as the game goes on, it becomes a challenge to master. Players can do so at their own pace without the pressure of a timer, and the reset button makes it easy to start over if mistakes are made.

The gameplay inconveniences are easier to overlook than the rush of endgame exposition, but both of these issues are slightly outweighed by the narrative hits, which come along more frequently than the game’s misses.

Overall this is a very good indie game, despite a few rough spots, offering anything from 10-30+ hours of gameplay depending on one's thoroughness. The challenges available suit a wide range of abilities, and players are free to kill or not without being disadvantaged or affecting the story. People who find trial and error frustrating should be aware that they cannot save scum, and there are some pretty long checkpoints in the more complex levels.

Some levels get frustrating thanks to some poorly placed enemies and obstacles that make clearing them more difficult than they should be, and this issue is only exacerbated by the game's caffeine-infused hyperactive mode, which leaves your character almost entirely out of control. It's meant to be an added challenge, but it goes just a bit too far and becomes quite unwieldy. Other than those moments, however, it's a fun if not exceptional platformer that genre fans should appreciate.

As a saving grace, the game can be fun when you’re throwing out abilities into hordes of enemies and the boss battles are interesting, if not difficult. ZAMB! sounds like an exciting pop, but I’ve come to realize that in this comic book it signals one deadening idea: boredom.