The Frozen Wilds stands next to the base game, it doesn't surpass it. If that sounds like something you want, I'd recommend it. If not, this won't make the game any better for you. For me, I enjoy Horizon: Zero Dawn, so a little bit more is right up my alley.

Super Mario Odyssey honors much of what makes other 3D Mario games great, plus it adds plenty of its own flavor to the Mario stew thanks to its capture mechanic. Mario Odyssey can keep you busy for hours and hours if you want it to, and you probably will. Outside of a few instances where the camera took on a mind of its own, I can't think of a moment when I wasn't enjoying myself while journeying with Mario and Cappy.

There are still a few issues here and there: combat is better, but could stand for some tightening and assassination needs a dedicated, consistent button. But overall, this is a very good game and stands near the top of the series. Bayek's story is an excellent one and as a soft reboot for the franchise, Origins does its job. I'm looking forward to seeing where they go from here.

The New Colossus is the rare sort of shooter that sometimes even shines more when there's no guns involved at all. Especially in the friendships paved with BJ's comrades through the game's sometimes-silly pulp attitude. Especially in scenes with Anya, BJ's take-no-shit partner. A partner he doesn't need to protect, nor save. A woman who's on the front lines with a rifle just like the rest of the resistance—even with a super-pregnant, protruding belly. The New Colossus reminded me why I loved the quietly lifelike romance from the first game so much in the first place.

It's a bit of a shame, then, that GT Sport feels more like one of the old Prologue releases than a full-on entry in the series. Like I said at the top of this review, the game is fabulous, but there's just not quite enough of it. I'm sure that Polyphony Digital will add new cars, tracks, and events going forward, and it'll be interesting to see how Sport Mode evolves over time, but the bottom line is that right now, GT Sport feels more like an appetizer than a main course. It's exquisitely-crafted and phenomenally tasty, but leaves you wanting more.

I think The Fractured but Whole wouldn't suffer if it had a few hours knocked off it, but at the same time, I'm kind of sad to be done with it, too.

From what I've played so far though, The Evil Within 2 is everything I wanted from the first game. Every major complaint I had about the first game is at least addressed in some manner, though the tweaks aren't always perfect. It's a unique psychological horror title with Resident Evil 4's action combat. Tentatively, for those folks who weren't a fan of Capcom's reboot with Resident Evil 7, The Evil Within offers something that you might like, while blazing its own trail.

Shadow of War does stumble into a bit of a grind in the latter part of the game and the Chests system could be tuned much better. As it stands now, it's transparent in wanting you to open your wallet and buy a bit of Gold. Those issues are what keep Shadow of War from being an absolutely amazing game, instead of just a great one.

Forza Motorsport 7 is a great racing game. It might not entirely be my cup of coffee, but it's close enough to what I like that I'm not going to turn up my nose at it. Turn 10 Studios has created another winner, but there's a creeping specter in the form of consumable mod cards and Prize Crates that undermines the more straightforward experience in previous titles. The latter threatens the soul of Forza and I hope they don't build upon those aspects in Forza Horizon 4 or Forza Motorsport 8.

What you're left with is a game that many players will get around 10-15 hours out of before being shut out behind a vicious skill wall. Until that point, every player will run into some amazing moments that beg to be shared with friends. Heat Signature is a machine for watercooler talk. And if you're up to the challenge, there's a mountain waiting to be surpassed here. I just wish there were a few tweaks that would allow Heat Signature's fun to continue on for everyone, not just the highest skilled folks among us.

Divinity: Original Sin 2 is simply the pinnacle of the CRPG genre. It offers a campaign with memorable characters, interesting role-playing options, and excellent systemic combat. The environments are beautiful and the soundtrack is solid. That alone would put it at the top of the heap, but then Larian added offline and online coop, a PVP arena mode, and Game Master mode, the greatest throwback to the Dungeons & Dragons pen-and-paper games that underpin the entire genre. I might have small issues here and there, but Divinity: Original Sin 2 is one of the best in a strong year for gaming.

The action on the field is a bit more nuanced; the presentation has been spruced up; and there's a new chapter of the Journey to digest. But at its heart, FIFA 18 is much the same as its always been: the sort of fast and frantic soccer game you play on the couch with your friends. And that makes it plenty fun.

It's a better game than the first was. It's still that gateway MMO, missing features that current MMOs have. A Raid Finder would be keen, as the Guided Games feature is merely a half-step. Being able to see your friends and Fireteam on the map is an odd omission. The shader implementation is such an odd step back for a game that doesn't have a glamour system. And I still think the mismatch between PVE and PVP team sizes is a problem...But Destiny 2 is a damned good time.

If you're a basketball nut who is happy to focus on MyGM while leaving MyCareer for docked mode, I'd say NBA 2K18 is worth picking up. Glitches aside, it comes surprisingly close to matching the PS4/PC/Xbox One experiences, which is a hell of a feat on the part of Visual Concept's engineers. And on a game-to-game basis, it's an absolutely pleasure to play...But like the series itself, it's also fundamentally flawed. And sadly, I don't see that changing any time soon.

I wouldn't be surprised if longtime Danganronpa fans are turned off by some of the twists and turns of Danganronpa V3. Yet as someone who's been along for the ride since the games ported to PlayStation Vita all those years ago, I was just happy to be taken along for any ride at all. It was never about the destination, just all the friends I avenged through solving their murders along the way.

I came away from Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite generally enjoying the game. I think most of the players that liked Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 will be right at home here. I just feel more needed to be done to differentiate the game from its predecessor, especially in the roster department, which is a fighter's bread-and-butter. In many ways, this is a sequel, but when it comes to the roster overall, MvC Infinite feels like disappointing retread of what came before. So it's recommended for fighting fans, but temper your expectations accordingly.

I was delighted by Metroid: Samus Returns. It hits pretty much every note you hope to see in a Metroid game, and MercurySteam's console background is evident in their flair for the dramatic — whether in their introductory cutscenes or their boss battles. Their dramatic reinvention reinvigorates the source material and strengthens the story's bridge to Super Metroid. In short: They nailed it.

Absolver comes extremely close to being an amazing game with its deep 1v1 melee combat and unpredictable player encounters, but where it falters is in, well, nearly everything else. The world feels lifeless. When more than one fighter joins a battle, battling becomes frustrating and clunky. There's a lot of potential with Absolver. But unfortunately, it's not 100 percent of the way there yet.

Ark: Survival Evolved is a game full of rough edges. It's also a game full of some amazing moments over my total playtime. It's the kind of experience that has a lot of boredom and tedium, and a great deal of looking the other way in the face of bugs, but also some clear water cooler moments. There's something very cool buried in here, though I can't tell if that's because of some developer decisions or in spite of them.

Episode One: Awake of Before the Storm is a surprisingly promising entry for the short three-episode series. There's the right amount of callbacks to the series that made so many fans fall in love with Chloe and Max in the first place. While I still wish the dialogue wasn't as teenager cringe-y in a not-realistic way, there's far more of it this time around that plain isn't. Hell, even Chloe's eventual over-usage of "hell" is explained in a tongue-in-cheek nod to the future. For everyone who was worried about Before the Storm's authenticity under the reigns of a new developer: don't be.

This is a legitimately great strategy experience, tailored toward the sensibilities of Nintendo and the capabilities of the Nintendo Switch. It's a charming adventure for Mario, and the Rabbids don't get in the way, even if they don't necessarily add much either. In the same way that the original Super Mario RPG showed Square Enix using Nintendo's property to create some magic, Mario + Rabbids delivers something close from Ubisoft.

This is my first Yakuza game, but I found myself completely in love with everything the game had to offer.

The Lost Legacy isn't any different in that respect, but what it does, it does well. And that's good enough for me. If Chloe and Nadine are the future of the franchise, we're in for a great ride.

More than ever, Madden NFL is a demanding but fun simulator that accurately represents the real-life sport, and is capable of draining dozens if not hundreds of hours of your time. The jury is out on whether Longshot will be a long-term success; but with the transition to Frostbite and the rock-solid play on the field, Madden 18 has to be considered among the upper echeleon of sports sims.

But when it's you and your friends, opening up each other's guts and smashing heads into paste, you'll remember why you play Nidhogg in the first place. It's the first game with a little more love, which is sometimes all a sequel needs to be.

It's not an amazing game. It's not particularly innovative. I'd hazard that Saints Row IV is a better game overall. But I enjoyed this attempt by Volition to punch a new hole into its dance card. The studio wanted to try something a bit new and while Agents of Mayhem doesn't quite stick the landing, there's still a lot here to enjoy.

During its best moments, Sonic Mania feels like a Sonic fan's dream game. Now that that dream is fulfilled, maybe it's time for a new dream. Like an ideal, hypothetical Sonic 5 in the vein of Mania where we get only new levels thrown into the mix, instead of mostly remixes.

I'm helpless not to recommend Mega Man Legacy Collection 2, even though I ask that you picture me throwing my hands up in the air as I do so. The games are great, they're emulated well, and they're not all easy to find and play otherwise. Have I been spoiled by Digital Eclipse's collections, or did Capcom phone in Legacy Collection 2? The answer is "yes."