Telltale continues to craft its own version of Batman and Bruce Wayne. The action is still solid, but this is all about the story: Who is Bruce Wayne when everything he knows to be true is a lie? Given the truth of his origins, who is Batman? Telltale's Batman relies on safety and familiarity to subvert expectations here and it works well.

If a traditional menu-based RPG that spans nearly 100 hours isn't your idea of a good time, run away from Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past. Run away *screaming*. On the other hand, if you want to tuck into a great RPG for months at a time, you couldn't ask for a better companion.

FIFA 17 bounces back nicely after a down year without sacrificing any of its primary strengths. The Journey is a well-produced campaign mode that complements the existing feature set nicely, and the move to Frostbite appears to have gone off without a hitch. It's not really accurate to say FIFA is back since it never really left, but it is fair to say that it has momentum again, and that speaks well of its future as we head into the back half of this generation.

What's there is fun, but it just left me wanting more.

NBA 2K17 addresses most of my biggest issues from last year in cutting out canned animations and going back to basics with MyCareer, and it's still as polished as ever. It's easy to take its excellence for granted, but Visual Concepts' ambition and willingness to take risks keeps it from ever becoming stale. NBA 2K17 is the champion, and it's tough to see it losing that title anytime soon.

Bigger and better than its predecessor in every way, Forza Horizon 3 features a beautiful, incredibly diverse landscape, an impressive roster of over 350 meticulously-detailed cars, and an absolute ton of driving activities and challenges. Forza Horizon 3 is without doubt the finest arcade racer yet seen, and it looks set to become one of this generation's greatest games.

Halcyon 6 has tremendous promise, but tedious resource gathering, repetitive combat, and bugs hurt what is otherwise an ambitious and interesting space sim. I can't quite recommend it right now, but I'd check back in six months or so: It may well be on its way to being something truly special.

Featuring a dynamic, scalable questing system, redesigned classes, new artifact weapons, a strong, lore-heavy storyline that positions you as a bona fide champion, and a ton of endgame content at launch, Legion feels like the strongest WoW expansion since Wrath of the Lich King. Whether it can continue this momentum over the expansion's duration remains to be seen, but for now, Legion is the invigorating shot in the arm that the game sorely needed.

ReCore is a style of game we haven't seen in a while. Part Mega Man Legends, part Metroid Prime, ReCore puts exploration and platforming at the forefront. With your trusty corebot pals, you'll double jump and dash through an open world and some damned fiendish dungeons. While ReCore trips up a bit with some odd combat and gating mechanics, it's still worth your time if you remember how platforming was in the old days.

NHL 17 has some real strengths, but it still feels like it hasn't quite made it out of the previous generation. The gameplay is strong but increasingly dated; the feature set feels haphazard, and there are lots of niggling quality-of-life issues. It feels more and more like the series is stuck in a rut, and it's hard to say where EA Canada should take it next. For now, NHL 17 is another decent outing, but the next step remains elusive.

While Ace Attorney has had its ups and downs since the original trilogy came to a close, Spirit of Justice amounts to the fresh start Phoenix Wright needed to break away from his past. A great setting, fantastic mysteries, memorable characters, and a consistent, thoughtful theme make this a must-play for anyone interested in Ace Attorney's anime-infused take on Law & Order.

Nuka-World's fantastic new setting and cool new opportunities belies its overall lack of depth. There's a lot to do in this expansion, but not a lot of it is all that interesting. It could be worse, but it could also be a whole lot better.

Assetto Corsa is a great-looking, excellent-sounding, meticulously crafted simulation that offers a very realistic racing experience. Its authenticity does come at a cost, however - it's very difficult to drive well, and requires a considerable investment of your time to get the most out of it. However, if you're a hardcore racing enthusiast who loves a challenge, Assetto Corsa is one of the best driving sims available.

With 50 fighters (17 of whom are all-new), 19 stages, and a host of gameplay modes, SNK is coming out swinging with King of Fighters XIV. The roster is diverse and interesting and the game is easy to get into. The game could definitely use a boost in the visual department, as the art style can come across as safe and bland, but the game itself is solid. As the beginning for a whole new era of SNK, King of Fighters XIV is a win.

Adam Jensen returns in an all-new adventure, proving that Human Revolution wasn't a fluke. Eidos Montreal has outdone itself with the same great stealth experience, improved combat, and some gorgeous art direction. There's a whole host of augments and weapons, allowing you to customize your experience and certain moral choices you make will stick with you. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided does not disappoint.

A thoroughly entertaining racing game that should please F1 and driving enthusiasts alike.

Federation Force has proven to be a pleasant surprise, and my feelings on playing the game quickly went from "reluctant dread" to "respectful delight."

After three wonderful Episodes of Hitman, IO Interactive drops the ball by delivering a chunk of content that's not nearly as thoughtful as what came before. But even if this installment comes off as a little disappointing, you should still get some enjoyment out of it if you enjoyed Agent 47's previous 2016 adventures.

EA Tiburon has done a great job of rehabilitating the fading Madden brand, with Madden 17 being the culmination of their efforts. Everything they've tried to accomplish over the past couple years is on display, from the revamped blocking to the smarter franchise mode. There are certainly plenty of issues left to address; but for now, Madden NFL 17 is a very solid football game.

No Man's Sky's journey across a massive procedural universe is compelling in how seamless it feels, the way that it allows you to explore at your own pace, and its questioning of the drive toward completionism found in most games. Unfortunately, it's saddled with a terrible interface and a crushing sense of repetition, both of which come to overshadow its more interesting qualities. As such, while it feels incomprehensibly vast at times, No Man's Sky can also feel crushingly limiting. And it's the latter feeling, unfortunately, that keeps its from reaching its full potential.

Telltale wastes no time in establishing its Batman and the surprising thing is the studio is spending an equal amount of time on Bruce Wayne. The elements are familiar, but the focus is rarely this evenly split. An strong premise, sold takes on familiar characters, and great fight scenes bring this first episode to a strong conclusion. Looking forward to see what's next.

Does beauty alone justify a game? Can the novelty of swimming through majestic oceans teeming with life overcome an otherwise fairly by-the-numbers experience that never quite achieves the creative heights it so earnestly aspires to? I suppose that's down to the player, but as much as I wanted to love Abzû, the end result fell just short of brilliance. It's worth playing for the incredible presentation, but don't expect something profoundly new here.

Overcooked nails local co-op multiplayer gaming perfectly. It's incredibly easy to pick up and play, yet coordinating its myriad of seemingly-mundane tasks requires its players to constantly communicate. What transpires is riotous and often hilarious gameplay that's simply great fun to play. Unfortunately, it's not quite as entertaining as a single-player experience, but if you have friends and family to play with, Overcooked is highly recommended.

This may be an entry in a highly specialized and generally unfriendly genre, but you'll be hard-pressed to find a better example of the type. Heartless, demanding, infuriating, yet seemingly boundless in the depth of its content and mechanics, the latest Shiren the Wanderer adventure wraps taxing game design in just-one-more replay appeal. Think of it as the Wolverine of console roguelikes: It's the best there is at what it does, and what it does isn't very nice.

The single-player aspect of Tricky Towers is challenging, but can get rather frustrating due to its random elements. However, as a multiplayer game, Tricky Towers works really well. Its tower-building gameplay is incredibly easy to pick up and play, and it delivers fierce and fun competition that offers plenty of ways for players to mess with one another. Definitely recommended as a party game, or if you have friends and family to play with.

Lifeless Planet is an interesting mash-up of genres, blending a walking simulator and platform-puzzling with a mysterious and quite gripping premise. Its slow pace mightn't be for everyone, but if you enjoy action adventures, are partial to tricky third-person platforming, and like classic sci-fi yarns, it's worth checking out.

Pokémon Go is slim on the gameplay and the app itself has severe issues that need to be fixed, but the experience of getting out there and playing the game is great. Pokémon Go and the general love of Pokémon is giving people a chance to connect with each other and have fun. It has issues, but Pokémon Go is still worth the hunt.

Keeping with the tradition of Monster Hunter sequels, Generations doesn't rock the boat. Instead, it doubles down on the core formula, while tweaking several existing features to make them much friendlier. Overall, it's an experience designed for Monster Hunter veterans—but one that also extends a helping hand to newcomers.

Insomniac Games' Song of the Deep is an excellent metroidvania whose underwater setting gives the genre a nice twist. Its map is impressively large, and it packs many inventive puzzles that are fun to solve. It looks and sounds brilliant too. The boss battles are a little on the weak side however, but they don't take the shine off what is otherwise a thoroughly enjoyable and very sweet exploration game.

Despite some combat balancing issues and some occasionally too-linear design, 7th Dragon III offers a top-class portable role-playing experience. Thankfully, you don't need to be familiar with the unlocalized earlier games in the series to grasp the story, and its wealth of customization options make for a fairly breezy RPG experience... at least until you get to those brutal True Dragon fights, anyway.

Full Mojo Rampage is challenging, but entertaining. It might have some stiff competition in the form of similar games like Binding of Isaac, Enter the Gungeon, and Crypt of the Necrodancer, but its voodoo theme, four-player co-op, and twin stick chops help give it its own identity. Ultimately, it's a fun game that might occasionally be frustrating, but it looks good, sounds great, and plays well.

This port of the popular PC prison-building game has been nicely executed to deliver a deep and compelling experience on consoles. Its complex menus and mechanics present a fairly steep learning curve, even with the game's effective tutorials, but once you get over it, Prison Architect is a challenging, entertaining, and surprisingly addictive game that offers plenty of potential for long-term play.

Grand Kingdom has a lot of really great ideas: its map setup, its use of obstacles to force you to think tactically, and its online integration are all great. But once you get past the game's second layer, it starts to plateau, which is disappointing. Whether it's more unique enemies, multi-layed class synergy, or more consequential online wars, Grand Kingdom feels like it's missing that little something extra. With that, I really hope there's a sequel. I'd hate to see all these great ideas go to waste.

Combine a highly compelling visual narrative with superb puzzles and brilliant platforming, and you have Inside, one of the most intriguing, addictive, and beautiful-looking games of this generation. Its only downside is that it's quite short, but while it lasts, it's absolutely glorious.

While Star Ocean started as an innovative series full of fun, bold ideas, its current form amounts to the most middle-of-the-road RPG experience you could possibly have. It's not particularly awful, but in a reality full of RPGs, so many better options exist.

While Rhythm Heaven veterans might find themselves wishing for more new content, Megamix still manages to work its gleeful charms in the series' heartwarmingly absurdist fashion. And if you've never tried the series before, Megamix amounts to the most refined and approachable entry to date.

Pac-Man 256 takes the original coin-op's gameplay and gives it a clever new twist to create an endless muncher that's hugely fun to play. On the surface it looks simple, but its gameplay has surprising depth that makes it fiendishly addictive - and highly challenging to master.

Mighty No. 9 contains the seeds of a good platforming franchise, but for now they're exactly that: Seeds. In its current state, Keiji Inafune's intended successor to the Mega Man series lacks creativity, joy, and character – not to mention several weeks' worth of polish.

Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE has a little bit of Fire Emblem and Shin Megami Tensei for flavor, but honestly the title stands out as its own thing. Fans of Shin Megami Tensei spinoff Persona will find a lot to love: great characters, a heavy dose of Japanese entertainment, and a solid battle system. And if you're a Wii U owner, this is a great RPG to close out the system's lifespan.

Deadlight: Director's Cut looks fantastic and has a very intriguing storyline. Its platforming puzzles are also generally really enjoyable to solve. However, a few annoying gameplay flaws, occasionally awkward controls, and very short running time really take the edge off the experience, and ultimately the game falls short of its considerable potential.

Fenix Furia is a hardcore micro-platformer that somehow manages to be incredibly challenging, yet still enjoyable to play. Some of its levels will have you cursing out loud due to their high level of difficulty, but when you beat them, you'll whoop with joy. It's definitely not for everyone, but if you want to test your reflexes and coordination to their limits, Fenix Furia is a game that does just that.

While Catalyst keeps up the great first-person parkour action of the first game, the awkward smashing of its parts into the ubiquitous, open-world model hasn't done Mirror's Edge any favors. The overall aesthetic and sense of momentum still have their charms, but it's disappointing to see EA Dice take such a safe, predictable approach with what once felt like a boldly unique property.

At its best, Dangerous Golf is an addictive and enjoyable game of wanton destruction. Its levels are challenging, and destroying the beautifully-rendered interiors is just plain fun. However, a few flaws are evident in the gameplay that take the edge off the enjoyment, making it just a good game, rather than a great one.

IO Interactive continues Hitman's reboot with another sprawling level that doesn't disappoint. Even if its episodic nature doesn't feel completely necessary, each dose of content will keep you plenty busy until the next one arrives.

Score Rush Extended might look and sound a little generic, but it's a solid, back-to-basics shooter that truly tests your arcade skills. Its bullet hell gameplay is nicely tuned to be highly challenging and addictive, and it's just plain fun to play. If you're a fan of hardcore shooters, definitely check it out.

A weird hybrid of downward-scrolling shoot 'em up and platformer, Downwell is a challenging, but highly addictive arcade game that's a great test of your concentration and reflexes. Its gameplay does lack variety, but when played in short bursts, it's a lot of fun.

Lumo packs many different challenges and puzzles into its oldschool isometric 3D platform adventure format. It can be tough at times, but it's nevertheless thoroughly enjoyable - riffing on many classic British games of the 80's that you mightn't know, but will enjoy discovering.

The Platinum spark exists in Mutants in Manhattan, which is why it's tragic the developers couldn't spend the same resources they would on original IP like Bayonetta. As licensed games go, you could do much worse, but this TMNT outing feels like a collection of good ideas in need of a second pass.

Centered around a brilliant upgrade mechanic, bursting with lively graphics, and featuring dozens of thoughtfully designed stages, Kirby's latest is one of the most entertaining chapters to date of a long and storied franchise.

Though you can tackle it at anytime, Blood and Wine is definitely CD Projekt Red's farewell to Geralt of Rivia. The great storytelling, interesting characters, and solid hunting mechanics all return in one last adventure, taking Geralt to a new region. If you've played Wild Hunt and Hearts of Stone, you owe it to yourself to experience this excellent finish to Geralt's tale.

Pretty much everything about this game feels fresh and exciting: the class-based combat, the art style, the roster, the modes. It's equal parts strategic and twitchy, encouraging you to think while also rewarding skill, and its roster is a delight. Overwatch may well be the best new multiplayer shooter to come along since Modern Warfare and Team Fortress 2 took 2007 by storm. I can't wait to play more.

Soft Body is a very unusual release whose abstract gameplay starts out addictive and entertaining, but soon becomes fiendishly challenging. Its high level of difficulty means it's not for everyone, but if you have superb reflexes and coordination, and love action-puzzle games, it's worth a look.

If you're a fan of turn-based strategy games and you haven't played Valkyria Chronicles, you need to remedy that. Valkyria Chronicles Remastered is a great starting point. Veterans should also consider starting up another fight to drink in Remastered's slick new visuals.

Homefront: The Revolution is a very ambitious game that has all the ingredients of a blockbuster, but somehow doesn't quite feel fully-baked. The single-player game has aspects that are interesting and challenging, but unfortunately it's let down by average gunplay and flawed AI. Add to that a multiplayer mode that's fun, but limited in scope, and you have a game that falls short of its considerable potential.

id Software has taken its original, no-BS Doom formula and very successfully repackaged it for the modern era. The result is a thrash metal loud, gloriously gory, blisteringly fast, and thoroughly entertaining oldschool shooter. Both the single-player and multiplayer modes are basically throwbacks to simpler times, but are wrapped up with contemporary trimmings to create a package that fans of the original Doom games should really enjoy.

Shadow of the Beast takes the original Commodore Amiga's platform-combat gameplay and brings it bang up to date with plenty of exploration, and a more sophisticated fighting system. The result is a thoroughly enjoyable platform game that features an interesting story, entertaining combat, and excellent audio-visuals. The main campaign doesn't take too long to beat, but the game packs enough secrets and unlockables to keep you coming back for more.

While it still carries some common adventure game problems, Kathy Rain acts as a nice update to the genre that still looks like a product of the '90s. Adventure game veterans and newcomers should find a lot to love with this one.

While Coffin Dodgers follows the Mario Kart formula fairly closely, it's neither polished or finessed enough to really stand out. It's fun for a while, but unfortunately the easy single-player mode and lack of online multiplayer limits its appeal.

Push Me Pull You is a simple, yet effective local multiplayer title that's a breeze to pick up and play. Its bizarre, yet competitive gameplay quickly gets players yelling at one another - whether they're friend or foe - making it an ideal, and potentially noisy party game. The lack of online multiplayer and single-player mode does limit its appeal somewhat, but if you're the kind of person who often hosts gaming parties, check it out.

Like any horse race, your success in Pocket Card Jockey relies on luck -- a little too heavily for some players, maybe. Nevertheless, once the game sinks its big, horsey teeth into you, it won't let go for a long time.

Uncharted 4 finishes off the story of Nathan Drake in style. It's one of the best-looking games on PlayStation 4, the environments are huge, and the action set pieces are great. The pacing falters in the middle due to new vehicle sections, but once Uncharted 4 gets going, it's a great ride.

With Neverending Nightmares, Infinitap does a stellar job of simulating the more common elements of nightmares, but shows enough self-control to prevent the experience from being absolutely wearying. Though the subject matter might be disturbing to some, this short, effective experience makes for one of the more memorable horror games in recent memory.

Battleborn has its moments, but its lack of maps and other niggling flaws makes it tough to recommend. There may well be a perfect FPS MOBA out there somewhere; but with Battleborn, the two genres feel fundamentally at odds with one another. It's not helped by its generic art direction and painfully unfunny sense of humor, which mostly consists of pointing toward some well-worn trope and asking, "Isn't that silly?" Right now, it feels geared toward the hardcore community in a way that makes it not very fun to play for more casual fans; and as Battleborn hasn't shown itself to be worth that kind of investment, I'm ready to take my leave of it.

IO Interactive doesn't disappoint with this second installment of the Hitman reboot, which features a big, beautiful, and dense level full of possibilities—one you'll revisit again and again to for the sake of creative murder.

Alienation's plot and gameplay might lack originality, but that's soon forgotten as you get your teeth into its slick, addictive, over-the-top action. Along with gorgeous environments and absolutely spectacular pyrotechnics, the game features surprising depth thanks to its upgradable characters and loot system. It all adds up to a really enjoyable multiplayer shooter that's highly recommended.

Maze Walker may not be much fun, but it's never looked this nice. Of course, if you haven't already picked up these games individually, there's no question — this is a must-have compilation.

Top marks to Drinkbox for daring to be different, and using the PS Vita's touch screen to create a unique gestural combat system. The action can be somewhat repetitive at times, but Severed's story is compelling enough to keep driving you on. That, combined with the beautiful-looking graphics deliver a dungeon crawler that's well worth experiencing.

With P.O.L.L.E.N, Mindfield Games goes beyond the basics of first-person adventures for a time-traveling journey full of things to tinker with. And if you have an Oculus Rift, you may find it even easier to fall in love with their well-crafted world.

Axiom Verge on Vita is the same great game as it was on PS4 and Steam. But it doesn't perform as well or control as well, and for a game as finely tuned as this, those minor hitches make this a less-than-ideal format for experiencing the game. Thankfully, Sony's cross-buy means that anyone who picks up the game on Vita also has access to the PS4 version, but that doesn't make the imperfections of this port any less disappointing. Axiom Verge and Vita should be a marriage made in heaven, but in the end I just found myself wishing mom and dad would stop fighting. The game remains as great as ever, but subtract a point from the score if you're playing on Vita.

Star Fox Zero falls short in a lot of ways; but for better or worse, it's still the best game the series has seen in years.

Bravely Second: End Layer is a worthy follow-up to Bravely Default, which in itself is one of the best RPGs on the Nintendo 3DS. Granted, if Bravely Default didn't move you the first time around, Bravely Second probably won't, either. For better or worse (but mostly better), it's a straight-up second helping of its predecessor.

Ratchet and Clank is a terrific game that's a joy to play. It features exceptionally varied and interesting gameplay, from racing through dogfighting to puzzling - and, of course, plenty of platforming. Add to that an arsenal of truly entertaining weapons, excellent cutscenes, and superb graphics and sound, and you have a memorable game that represents a brilliant reboot for the series.

If you're looking for a roguelike twinstick shooter, Enter the Gungeon is one of the best. You'll shoot and dodge roll your way through procedurally-generated levels. Over 200 guns and secret rooms means you'll dive into the Gungeon again and again. It's not the most most innovative roguelike, but what it does, it does well.

An absolutely beautiful MMO from developer Pearl Abyss. The beauty is backed by a complex sandbox MMO that offers a lot of freedom, but doesn't explain its systems to players all that well. If you're into starting up a second fantasy life and have the time to spend learning the mechanics, Black Desert Online might be the game for you.

Dead Star is a dynamic and entertaining mash-up of top-down shooter and open MOBA variant. It initially seems simple and straightforward, but the more you play it, the more its tactical and strategic depths become apparent. Ultimately, it's a really enjoyable game that offers intense, competitive PvP action, from exciting one-on-one dogfights to pitched battles involving many players.

Hyper Light Drifter is very much worth the time, effort, and aggravation it costs you (and inflicts upon you). Its blistering speed takes some getting used to if your experience with action RPGs leans towards the likes of Zelda and Secret of Mana, but once you warm up to the icy slickness of Hyper Light Drifter, it quickly commits itself to your muscle memory. Within a few hours, you wonder how those punk werewolf enemies ever gave you such a hard time, especially since their attack cues are so slow and obvious.

A bold experiment in marrying passive and interactive elements to create a narrative game, Quantum Break almost succeeds. It looks utterly stunning, and it's fun to play, but overall the game doesn't quite gel with its TV show-style episodes to elevate its experience into something new. What we're left with is an enjoyable game and a half-decent TV show that coexist together, but don't feel like they're fundamentally entwined.

From Software's amazing streak continues with Dark Souls III, which amounts to the finest game in the series. Returning players will find everything they've grown to love in a much better form, while newbies will be treated to the most accessible Souls to date.

Miitomo is an impressive start for Nintendo's mobile projects. It's an easy-to-use social network that's highly unique and delivers big laughs and lots of fun. It's also fair about in-app purchases, and contains no advertising. That said, we'll have to wait and see whether or not the world has long-term use for a highly structured, perpetually cheerful social network.

Beyond the jank and titillation, though, Azure offers an action experience that speaks to a different era of gaming and plays like nothing else I've seen in years — regressive, perhaps, but in a good way. And the characters are ultimately strong enough, and developed enough, to be both likable and substantial as they navigate a minefield of boilerplate anime clichés and malfunctioning wardrobes. Not a game for everyone, but one that's better than you'd probably think.

For better or worse, MLB The Show 16 focuses heavily on Diamond Dynasty this year. The on-field action is strong as ever, and the bullet time-like Showtime is interesting, but the bulk of the improvements are in Diamond Dynasty-centric additions like Captains and Battle Royale. If you're a curious newcomer who likes baseball, you will find an extremely strong baseball sim; but if you're a returning player, your mileage will probably vary depending on how willing you are to indulge in The Show's card-collecting mode.

DiRT Rally is a realistic, beautiful-looking off-road racing simulation that's really exciting to drive. Its high level of challenge and unforgiving nature means it won't appeal to everyone, but for those who want to experience the trials and tribulations of rallying, it's an absolutely brilliant game.

Trackmania Turbo's arcade action is slick, fast and thoroughly enjoyable. It offers a ton of content to keep you busy, and challenging the leaderboards is a highly addictive experience. The action can become somewhat repetitive during extended play sessions, but in short bursts, this game is a huge amount of fun.

LucasArts' 1993 adventure game has aged incredibly well, making for an incredible experience for newcomers and veterans alike. Add in a host of great extras and upgrades, and it's hard to think of how this Remastered edition could possibly be better.

The one letdown here is the questionable quality of the port, which sputters and skips much more than you'd expect for a last-gen game revamped for Xbox One.

Salt and Sanctuary is a quality platformer with well-implemented Metroidvania elements. It's brutal at times, but deeply satisfying to play. Is it thematically derivative of the Souls games? Yes, but not disgustingly so. Just get out there and give a few demons what for.

Pokken Tournament is fun for a bit, but I'm not convinced that it has any staying power as a fighting game. It's further hurt by its thin single-player mode and limited roster, which hurts its potential with casual fans. As attractive and faithful to the license as it is, it has plenty of room for improvement. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a sequel.

If you haven't yet entered the deadly world of Hitman, IO Interactive's newest installment makes for the most approachable take on the series yet. The amount of content may seem undersized for an episodic series, but the sheer amount of ways to approach each level will have you playing them over and over again to perfect the art of murder.

Tense and thrilling sums up much of my time playing The Division. From its brilliant missions through exploring its amazing environment to tackling its many side missions and encounters, working my way through this game has been a truly enjoyable experience. Sure, the action can be accused of being repetitive, but for me – a hardcore shooter fan – I couldn't get enough of it.

It's great to finally have a high-definition port of Twilight Princess - it needed one more than most. Its strong dungeon design holds up well enough, but its meandering pace is unlikely to win over its detractors. Still, if you missed it the first time, give it a look. If nothing else, Midna is still a delight.

It might look like a shooter, but Superhot's unique game mechanic - Time moves when you move - means the game plays out more like a puzzle. You'll punch, slice, and shoot your way through waves of red shapes and feel awesome while doing it. It's over pretty quick, but once you're done, there's still a whole host of challenge levels to tackle.

Rocket League is simple in concept - it's basically soccer with cars - yet it works brilliantly as a multiplayer game. It's incredibly easy to pick up as a beginner, but learning the intricacies of its controls takes many, many hours. And doing so is a thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding experience.

Although the emphasis on bow hunting and woolly mammoths can give a bit of a Skyrim vibe, that quickly fades as you gain full mastery over the protagonist's ability to summon a variety of deadly beasts into combat. The writing fails to make its primitive heroes anything more than one-note lunks, but the primordial nature of the game world complements the action and ultimately makes up for the underwhelming story.

Blade & Soul has the PVP pedigree to stand at the top of the MMO heap, which is why the rather rote PVE stands out. You'll have to go through some soulless grinding before you get to the great PVP. If martial arts-laden PVP isn't your thing, there are better MMOs out there.

Mitsurugi Kamui Hikae is an arena fighter that features a great combo system that makes it fun to play... for a while. Unfortunately it has a limited number of enemy combatants, and once you learn the strategies for beating them, the gameplay quickly becomes repetitive.

Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 brings back pretty much everything from the original game, and builds on it with decent single-player content, six new characters, and a handful of new multiplayer additions. At its core, the game is still hugely fun to play, and it remains open and accessible to gamers of all skill levels. It's just that the new content feels somewhat lean.

Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright is a great followup to the amazing Fire Emblem: Awakening. The story is solid, the tactical combat is great, if simplistic in this version, and the characters are wonderfully endearing. The game excels in providing options, letting players tailor how they want to experience this world. If you care more or equally about the romance and social aspects of Fire Emblem, this is the version you should be playing.

Fire Emblem: Conquest is billed as the "hardcore" side of Fire Emblem Fates, and it doesn't disappoint with its intricate and challenging maps. On top of that, the core of Fire Emblem's relationship mechanics are strong as ever, and the castle hub is a very nice addition. Even if you opt to ignore Birthright, Conquest is a full-featured and satisfying RPG on its own.