SteamWorld Dig 2 is a masterfully created exploration-platformer in a Metroidvania package. If Dig 2 could offer an additional difficulty level, introduce more boss fights, and capitalize on the potential of the world and story, this could've been extraordinary. As it stands, it's an incredible experience and excellent value for fans of the genre or video games in general. One has to bear in mind that we are talking about a $20 indie game made by a small team, so Dig 2 is far from a full-fledged AAA experience. What's astonishing is how the title manages to capture and entertain us during its runtime and beyond.

Shadows of Adam is a worthwhile romp through classic JRPG nostalgia. Fans of the genre will appreciate the '80s and '90s callbacks and expansive world. At the same time, newcomers to the genre should find the title accessible, especially with its easier battles and exclusion of random encounters. While it might not display the same creativity of top-of-the-line JRPGs like Final Fantasy or Persona, Shadows of Adam executes its ideas well, and more importantly, is simply fun to play.

If you can live with some bugs, Middle-Earth: Shadow of War is a solid follow-up to Shadow of Mordor. Everything that made the first game such a treat is still fully intact, and the addition of loot makes it even more difficult to decide whether to keep or kill orcs. The new fortress mechanic is very intriguing, especially when multiplayer is thrown into the mix, but it makes concessions so it doesn't heavily punish those who don't always maintain their bases. All of this is thrown together with a wide variety of activities and an overall journey that is rarely boring. Fans of grand adventures absolutely enjoy this title.

The Madden series is iconic in the world of sports gaming. Regardless of your reason for playing, you can't go wrong with Madden NFL 18 because it's the ultimate NFL simulation experience on the market. This year's iteration brings dramatic changes in the form of an interactive movie, but there's something here for everyone, whether the interest is in MyTeam, online play, the MUT system, the competitive scene and community, or the superstar career mode.

Overall, Bannerman feels fresh in the way it looks and plays, and we wouldn't be too far off the mark in describing it as a 2-D Dark Souls. Fans of skill-based combat who are interested in the masterfully created retro visuals will get a short but intense journey through the gritty side of war in medieval times.

Metroid: Samus Returns is a solid remake that doesn't reinvent the wheel or eclipse the high points of the franchise but represents an enjoyable and well-made return to what makes Metroid work. It's low on story and high on exploration, and that's all it needs to be. The frustrating moments are few and far between, and the 3DS iteration eclipses the Game Boy original in pretty much every way. It's a Metroid title that shows why the old 2D classics were popular, and it succeeds wonderfully. With a ton of hints dropped throughout the game about a new Metroid game after Samus Returns, it should be interesting to see what Mercury Steam can do with an original game.

Aside from being one of the best-looking games on the platform, it plays like a dream due to a myriad of control options, while the freedom afforded by its gameplay options ensures that people of any racing skill level will be able to jump in and do well. However, its lack of stability puts it behind the console version and can make playing it on the PC frustrating if you aren't prepared to restart the game constantly. Despite the score given, which would be one full point higher if stability were fixed, players really wait for a patch unless they're impatient.

All in all, The Escapists 2 is a bigger and better version of the original game. The core gameplay loop of improving your inmate and finding materials and resources to escape is really engaging, even if it can be remarkably boring at times. The new features are mostly hits, and even when they're misses, they just need to be fleshed out, rather than being bad additions to the experience. The Escapists 2 does a solid job, and it's fun to play. Its only shortcomings are some awkwardness with the controller and the general tedium and punishing nature of the game.

In the end, Fate/Extella: The Umbral Star serves as a good appetizer for those who want some Musou action now. The action goes at an almost non-stop clip, and there's rarely any time to breathe before you have to unleash triple-number combos again and again. There's a ton of content to go over, and while the story can be nonsensical at times, it remains entertaining for those who aren't averse to anime or a visual novel style of game. Overall, Fate/Extella is a solid game to bide your time with while you await some of the bigger titles this year.

The changes that have occurred in NBA 2K18 are great, and everything feels more polished and confident. The dribbling and shooting are arguably the most noteworthy changes, as they feel and look more realistic than ever. The MyCareer mode is a lot better than it has been in the past few years, mostly due to the balance of archetypes. You can now safely play the way you want and not suffer any long-term setbacks. Overall, NBA 2K18 is the pinnacle of basketball simulation games, and it offers more than enough reasons to upgrade now rather than waiting for next year's offering.

For the most part, Redeemer succeeds in delivering an action-packed beat-'em-up experience. Unless players are facing bosses or enemies who are immune to regular attacks, the combat is fast and visceral. The overall game length is good, and although some of the mechanics can be inconsistent, there's enough here to make the experience worthwhile.

For the moment, I'm confident in saying that Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite plays well, which is good, because everything that surrounds that base game is a hot mess. It deserves a lot of the initial terrible buzz it received because unless you have your hands on it, Infinite just looks like refried hell. The Vs. series has never exactly been known for its high production values, but for a major fighting game release in 2017, this borders on embarrassing. It's a fun game that's often difficult to look at, and more so than any balance patches or DLC, it could use a fresh coat of paint.

Overall, Lode Runner Legacy is both a great game and a very good tribute to the 34-year-old original title. The classic gameplay holds up today, with a bevy of old and new levels to demonstrate that. It comes with a look that mimics a few other titles but it's nice to look at. Most importantly, there's more than enough content here to keep fans busy for a long time. Unless you hate platform puzzle games, Lode Runner Legacy is an easy game to recommend.

All in all, The Pillars of the Earth: Book One - From the Ashes is an excellent story-driven point-and-click adventure that mostly knows what its audience wants. This is reflected in the good gameplay and storytelling, and we hope some of the minor flaws and gripes will be addressed in books two and three, which will be released at the end of the year and in the first quarter 2018, respectively.

Nidhogg 2 is a worthy follow-up to the original. The new additions give the game some depth while still keeping intact the spirit of the game. For those who appreciate the prior title's simplicity, it's still there if you're willing to tweak some options. In the end, the game is a perfect multiplayer title in short bursts, and it's a game that's worth keeping in your library for such an occasion.

All in all, F1 2017 blew my expectations out of the water. My interest in racing titles had been waning, so trying the F1 series was one of my best decisions in a while. F1 2017 revived my interest in racing with its immersion and polish. The simulation is deep but allows casual racers to enjoy everything that it has to offer, and the career mode provides lasting appeal and value while adding a human touch to it all. Codemasters has brought a new level of simulation and enjoyment to racing games, and racing fans should snag F1 2017 and keep an eye out for F1 2018. I know I will.

Last Day of June is an emotional roller coaster that explores the themes of love and loss in interesting ways. Its simple story is an effective showcase for the diverse and charming cast. Its puzzles serve as fun palate cleansers that, despite their easiness, guide the narrative from start to finish. The stingy auto-save might have caused me some grief and an hour of lost progress, but that shouldn't deter fans of the genre from giving it a try. Be sure to keep an eye out for that pencil-and-paper symbol!

NHL 18 finds itself in a strange spot. On the one hand, there are significant changes to the gameplay modes and basic stick handling. This is especially true of Threes mode, which could've become a stand-alone, downloadable game due to the amount of content it possesses. On the other hand, the AI is flaky and undermines quite a few modes, especially Hockey Ultimate Team. NHL 18 remains a fun title and a good choice for those who are interested in the series but don't want a semi-arcade hockey mode.

The story and gameplay mechanics have greatly improved, and it sports many graphical upgrades. It's unfortunate that the enemy AI isn't more challenging, but for this franchise, the fun will always come from the end-game content. As long as players understand and accept that, they should snap up this sequel and prepare for another long adventure.

Knack II is a standard kids' platformer that's safe, simple and enjoyable, but it has little going for it beyond that. It's competent, but it's difficult to recommend it unless you're looking for something to play with a younger gamer. Players will enjoy the title for the duration of the play session but will likely forget about it in a week or two. There's certainly a place for that sort of game, and Knack II does the job well for its budget price tag of $40, but it's disappointing to see a title with so much potential and so little ambition.

In my opinion, Absolver is in the upper echelon of recent releases, but it still has a few issues. The camera can work against you at the most inopportune times, like when you're cornered, but that's more bearable to me than the motion blur. Other than those complaints, the game slows down its offerings after a dozen hours or so, unless you're playing co-op with friends. On the plus side, there's supposed to be free DLC in the future, and it seems like a pretty solid promise. Given Absolver's $30 price tag, you can't really complain about this purchase.

I can't recommend Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun enough to fans of strategy and stealth titles. There is a high level of replay value, and there's a sandbox feel to the levels, so players can determine how to beat them in a variety of ways. The only thing holding it back is the lack of co-op, which makes every game better since I can play it with my younger brother. I have no doubt that there will be a sequel in the future, and if it is anything like this one, I'm already saving my pennies to get it on day one.

roncast rewards those who aren't easily frustrated by loss. The constant losing can be discouraging, but the incremental progress made through each defeat means the game eventually gets easier and more satisfying. It also helps that the only mode happens to be long enough to sustain many losses, so it'll be quite some time before players reach the end. For puzzle fans who crave difficulty, Ironcast is worth checking out.

Admittedly, the overall quality of Matterfall hurts more than usual because we've seen exactly what Housemarque can do. The core game is fun, but mediocre platforming holds back the game's strengths of dashing and shooting. Controls seem fine on paper, but the inability to map the buttons means that there's a learning curve to the game that will result in many deaths and wrong moves. It may look and sound pretty, but with a short game length and a punishing leaderboard system, consumers may want to wait for a price drop before jumping in.

All in all, Accel World vs. Sword Art Online is a decent game comprised of both good and bad elements. The combat is fun and engaging when the camera doesn't battle you, but some enemies don't seem to have any fighting spirit. On the other hand, boss battles feel epic and test your preparation and patience, and multiplayer is a nice addition that offers a chance to battle friends or strangers. Players who can get past the empty-feeling world and underachieving story will find enjoyment in this title.

Fans of the WWII era or the RTS genre — or both — will get the most out of Sudden Strike 4. It is a high-quality product in terms of graphics and immersion, and the title provides a great experience full of tense and satisfying moments. There's a lengthy campaign that'll take more than a dozen hours to get through, and multiplayer and skirmish modes offer endless playability. The multiplayer portion requires planning ahead with friends or joining the small online community. Gamers who are on board with all of that will be fine with buying the title now, but others may want to wait until the price drops a bit.

Sonic Mania is a must-have title for platforming fans, retro enthusiasts, and Sonic fans of all types. It captures the essence of what made the series memorable, with a balance of high speed and thoughtful level design that guides you to secrets but always takes you to the end. Boss fights are inventive, and the title's replay value is immense, given the unlockables and various available pathways based on your chosen character. All we can hope for now is an official sequel, spiritual or otherwise, from these same fans-turned-programmers.

Yakuza Kiwami is a solid remake that has the misfortune of being released in the same year as the predecessor from which it recycles most of its content. Yakuza 0 is just a better game in almost every way. Kiwami's story is plenty of fun, and the writing and side content remains as hilarious as ever. It just feels too familiar. Those looking for more Yakuza will find a lot to like here, but even at a budget price of $30, it's difficult to feel excited by any of it. Give it more time to breathe, and it'll be a fun way to re-experience Yakuza, but anyone who dives in immediately after Yakuza 0 is going to have a very severe case of déjà vu.