An interesting story and smart game design help The Council work despite an occasionally iffy script, questionable production values, and some pacing issues.
DarkSiders III marries the best parts of DarkSiders will new mechanics, a fun world to explore, enjoyable characters and story, and an engaging combat system.
Hitman 2 is an excellent sequel full of opportunities that combines the best aspects of its predecessor with strong new additions to put 47's abilities to the test.
The World Ends With You: Final Remix is a solid port of a classic, but it's far from the definitive edition we were promised.
SoulCalibur VI is a statement game from Project Soul that does almost everything right. Smart gameplay refinements, a ton of content, the return of the original cast, and excellent teaching tools makes this the best SoulCalibur in years and prove that the soul still burns 20 years later.
Super Mario Party is a conservative return to form that makes the most of its core modes, but you'll need to get some friends in the same room to get the most out of everything it has to offer.
A number of small flaws keep Strange Brigade from greatness, but its style, humor, and core gameplay make for a satisfying romp solo or with friends.
Battle for Azeroth is off to a solid start, but Blizzard has a lot to improve if they want to win the war.
Sonic Mania Plus is an excellent addition to an already fine game and easily the best Sonic game in years.
Mothergunship is a fusion of good ideas and good mechanics let down by some poor design choices and inexcusable bugs, but what's here is a good foundation for Grip Digital to build and improve upon.
Mario Tennis Aces features excellent gameplay, a solid single-player mode, and a lot of fun characters, but its at its bets in multi-player. There are some annoying issues, but even at its worst, Aces holds serve.
Hyrule Warriors marries the best aspects of the musuo genre with a love for Zelda and visual and performance improvements for a solid, if simple, romp through Hyrule.
Frantics isn't the killer app PlayLink needs, but a charming art style, fun characters, good use of the phone-based controls, and a diverse selection of quality mini-games good make it a good party game.
Strong art and music combine with excellent mechanics and an emphasis on strategy and players choice to create one of the best strategy games in years.
A strong story, excellent performances, and some welcome gameplay improvements make Batman: The Enemy Within another great addition to the Batman canon.
Sea of Thieves' excellent gameplay loop and compelling world make up for some minor issues. Rare still has work to do here, but this is a great start.
It's not Age of Empires II, but Age of Empires: Definitive Edition has a lot to offer for newcomers and veterans alike, provided you can put up with some dated design.
Secret of Mana's remake doesn't fix everything wrong with the original game, but it's still a charming adventure that's worth your time.
In an era of standout fighting games, Dissidia Final Fantasy NT's lack of content and character customization and mediocre gameplay mark a step down from previous games in the series and an unacceptable lack of effort from Square Enix. Fans of Dissidia should stick with the PSP games. They're better.
Strong characters and a compelling narrative overcome some lackluster design decisions in a game that should appeal to fans of both Telltale and Mojang's work.