Wesley Lantz
Disjunction's gorgeous art and thoughtful narrative are its strong points, but its frustrating performance issues and lack of gameplay and environment variation keep it from achieving its developers' high hopes.
Blind Drive takes a unique concept, polishes it to its fullest extent, and delivers an entertaining and engaging experience the whole way through—though its objectionable content may leave some players with mental road rash by the end.
New Pokémon Snap is a beautiful exploration of the world of Pokémon with thoughtful mechanics and puzzle solving, though its tendency towards forced grinding and replays makes some of the charm wear off near the end.
The Game of Life 2 fails to build meaningfully upon a classic title, instead opting for superfluous DLC and an inflated price point, making for a final product that feels, ironically enough, lifeless and bland.
Wildermyth serves as a perfect entry point to newcomers to tactical RPGs, with beautiful artwork, a brilliant blend of strategy and storytelling, and a wealth of user-created content that will keep players coming back for more.
Unbound: Worlds Apart is a thoughtfully crafted twitch platformer, though its odd blend of gameplay styles leaves it feeling, ironically enough, caught between two worlds.
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous is a beautiful CRPG with solid mechanics, but for any player that is less than a veteran of the genre, it's a sloppy, soggy mess of an experience that kills any desire to learn more.
The Good Life is a charming and unique "debt-repayment RPG" that sets itself apart with its humor and character, but its lackluster gameplay, bizarre tonality, and overall lack of polish make that charm wear off quickly.
Faraday Protocol's puzzle mechanics are a perfect match for fans of its spiritual ancestors like Portal, but a rushed story and minimal campaign length make it a tougher sell to anyone who's not an established fan of the genre..
It Takes Two's innovate approach to co-op gaming makes for an experience that feels like watching a big-budget Pixar movie, but backs it up with snappy and accessible gameplay that starts strong and just keeps getting better.
Timelie is a unique and beautiful puzzler with polished controls, but obtuse puzzle logic and overall slow speed take a little sheen off of what is otherwise a solid entry in the genre.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land takes the puffball to new heights in every way, breathing new life into a beloved franchise and innovating at every step.
Coffee Talk is an absolute gem of a visual novel, with charming characters, entertaining and engaging dialogue, and a beautiful and calming atmosphere that will keep you coming back for a refill.
Bugsnax's blend of charm and addictive gameplay makes for a truly unique experience, though there are a few storytelling and writing bumps along the way.
Circus Electrique is a beautiful and ambitious RPG that unfortunately fails when it comes to delivering a fun or engaging experience.
Though it lacks a bit of final polish, Sonic Frontiers finally breathes new life into a franchise that's been on life support for far too long, and, fittingly enough, paves the way for great new things in the future.
Though the original game doesn't quite reach the heights of the rest of the series, Kirby's Return to Dreamland Deluxe is a great example of what remakes should be, with plenty of extra content and additions to please returning fans.
While it's nothing groundbreaking, Ty the Tasmanian Tiger HD is still a solid entry from the golden age of platforming, and its HD remaster is a wonderful recreation of the original experience.
Okami HD offers one of the most unique experiences available in gaming, with gorgeous stylized visuals backed up by addicting and snappy gameplay. It is an absolute joy to play.
CATAN: Console Edition is fun, but that has more to do with the design of the original board game than it does the digital incarnation. Combine that with inconsistent music quality and frustrating glitches, and the only real selling point is that it's cheaper than the board game version, and has online play.