David Jagneaux
Even though DBZ: Kakarot retells the same story the franchise has been telling for decades, it manages to do so in creative new ways for hardcore anime fans.
There are some great ideas in Darwin Project, but it's far too shallow to keep them interesting in the long term.
From the satisfying trooper battles on the ground to the thrilling dogfights in space, Battlefront 2 has struck back, delivering an unrivaled Force-fueled multiplayer fantasy.
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then Phoenix Point just wrote a love letter to XCOM, for better and for worse.
Darksiders Genesis is an incredibly solid adaptation of the IP that brings both War and Strife into a new genre without losing the heart of the franchise.
With delightful visuals, pulsing music, and snappy gameplay, Black Future '88 is a solid roguelike that won't revolutionize the genre.
Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts starts slow and tedious but picks up the pace as you unlock more gadgets and learn how to become a pro marksman with its intricate bullet physics system.
Sparklite is a good example of how creativity and sharp game design can elevate a genre even if you thought you'd seen everything it has to offer.
This latest entry in the Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games series sports the best collection yet of minigames and events, but is hampered by a tedious story mode and overall poor execution.
Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair brings the dynamic duo down to a 2.5D perspective to deliver one of the best platformers we've seen in years.
Contra: Rogue Corps is one of the worst games in the revered franchise and does a poor job of reviving the series for a modern audience by switching genres and failing to deliver.
Siege of Centauri is a capable tower defense game that doesn't do anything horribly wrong, but it's one also fails to impress in most aspects.
Final Fantasy VIII is one of the most divisive entries in the series, but this remaster does an admirable job of updating the classic for modern audiences.
Supermassive Games proves that lightning can strike twice with Man of Medan, which (mostly) successfully carries the torch handed down by Until Dawn while adding a clever co-op twist.
Remnant: From the Ashes is a co-op action-RPG that's punishing and grotesque, but exciting and beautiful all at the same time. Despite the occasional difficulty spikes and slightly disappointing gear system, the thrill of finally beating a boss that's had your number for hours is unmatched.
Metal Wolf Chaos XD is a bare bones HD upgrade that brings the bonkers cult classic West for modern consoles, including its cumbersome gameplay and outdated designs.
Dragon Quest Builders 2 takes just about everything that made the original so enjoyable and improves upon it.
What Dauntless lacks in layered complexity it makes up for with tightly crafted combat and rewarding progression, proving you don't need to cram every possible feature into a game for it to be great.
Team Sonic Racing adds a creative twist on the arcade racer with its exciting team-based mechanics that put strategy and precision at the forefront alongside blistering speeds across mesmerizing tracks.
Close to the Sun is a harrowing and thoughtfully designed first-person exploration adventure that shows a twisted world in which Nikola Tesla's ideas came to life.