Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5 exists to exploit any nostalgia you might have for the earlier games, offering an insulting dearth of worthwhile content in exchange for your money.
Contrast has a lot of heart, but its protagonist and environments lack some soul. It's not the best puzzle platformer you'll ever play, but it's far from the worst.
Though it doesn't outdo its predecessor, The Evil Within 2 delivers another fun, challenging, tense horror headtrip that should delight fans of the first game.
A highly polished iteration of Smash Bros. that plays great on its own. But if you're afflicted by latency problems in local multiplayer, you'll suddenly become painfully aware of the 3DS version's critical shortcomings.
Resogun looks incredible and provides plenty of arcade fun. It's only held back by sudden difficulty spikes and some frustrating point-scoring mechanics.
The subject material is ghastly, but Valiant Hearts has the right mix of emotion and entertainment to make enduring the Great War worthwhile.
Mortal Kombat X has tons of polish, unique mechanics, and the genre's best story mode, but it doesn't do enough to keep players invested if they weren't already planning on it.
Even with a clumsy progression system, Trials Rising's vibrant tracks, tight controls, and excellent tutorials are some of the best in the series.
Guacamelee 2 is another champion-grade Metroidvania, provided you can handle some corny humor and retreading of old mechanics.
With its brutal, agile combat and engrossing slice of cyberpunk existence, you'll desperately want Ruiner to keep the story going.
Though it doesn't outshine Dark Souls, Nioh's distinctly Japanese setting, thoughtful level design, and demanding difficulty lead to some supremely satisfying payoffs.
Despite some wonky tie-ins with the film, this is a gorgeous, thoroughly great platformer and a worthy reboot for Ratchet & Clank.
Powerstar Golf blends time-tested mechanics with a unique style, rewarding your hard work with a pleasant sense of accomplishment. As long as you don't let the microtransactions ruin it for you, you're all but guaranteed to have a good time.
You've never explored an open world quite like this. Sunset Overdrive's iffy gunplay and inconsistent missions are redeemed by absolutely amazing mobility and an infectious enthusiasm for mayhem.
Excellent mechanics and incredible playability make up for Killer Instinct's shortage of single-player content. Franchise fans and fighting game junkies will be most pleased.
If you can steel yourself for a challenge and come to grips with an unwieldy checkpoint system, Ori and the Blind Forest will mesmerize you with its lush world and incredible artistry.
Jazzpunk is uniquely ridiculous and undeniably hilarious. It's not afraid of making you work to find all the funny, which turns even the tiniest throwaway joke into something special.
Though Reaper of Souls' story additions feel too open-ended, the new Crusader class and Adventure Mode go a long way towards revitalizing Diablo's inherently fun and addictive core gameplay.
Trials Fusion delivers more of what you want: addictively challenging obstacle courses, complete with precision controls and highly competitive leaderboards. The futuristic setting and subplot don't add much, but they (usually) don't detract from the fun either.
Whether or not you dig its new look, KOF 14 offers everything you could want in a fighting game: refined gameplay, a bevy of appealing characters, and accessibility that gives way to complex depth.