Madden NFL 17 isn’t perfect, but it’s a damn fine football simulation that puts the game first, and then gives you lots of ways to play it. There’s teaching tools to whip even the most noobish of newbies into Football Gods, and the strong core gameplay and large variety of modes should please longtime fans. If you’re a football fan, it shouldn’t be missed.
Instilled with a pervading sense of disquiet and a knack for the disturbing, Inside is a memorable, beautifully realized puzzle-platformer. The game’s middle drags as it leans too heavily on puzzles, and the game’s short length and ending will no doubt put some off, but some strong puzzle and world design and an engrossing, murky narrative makes Playdead’s latest is an adventure worth taking.
Gran Turismo Sport isn't perfect, but it is a focused sim with a genuine love of driving. Excellent driving, beautiful cars, a strong online component, and tons of features help it overcome a stringent online requirement, a smaller number of cars and tracks, and weak crashes and damage modeling.
Incredible levels, beautiful art, a fantastic soundtrack and classic gameplay make Sonic Mania the best Sonic game in years.
Death of the Outsider's story never lives up to its promise, but strong mechanics, good gameplay, and a fascinating world pull it through.
NHL 18 impresses with new teaching tools, sublime skating, updated dekes and defensive moves, new modes, and a lot of improvements. It isn't a perfect hockey game, but when it skates this well and looks this sharp, who cares?
Excellent mechanics, lots of options, stunning visuals, top-flight sound design and a emphasis on accessibility make Project Cars 2 a worthwhile sequel that will appeal to anyone who loves cars and isn't afraid of a challenge.
Super Lucky's Tale is a funny, joyous game with excellent mechanics and great characters. Microsoft has finally found their platformer.
Strong writing, great performances, an engaging story with choices that matter, and a fantastic soundtrack make Telltale's Guardians of the Galaxy an intergalactic ride worth taking. Just don't forget your Walkman.
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.
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.
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.
Tales of Vesperia; Definitive Edition is a charming game with a great cast, a fun, deep combat system, and a ton of heart and easily the best iteration of a beloved classic.
Awesome guns. Irreverent humor. Great characters. Lots and lots of bad guys to shoot. Borderlands 3 is more of the same, but when it's this much fun, who cares?
Despite inconsistent visual presentation and some barebones modes, Samurai Showdown shines as both a unique fighter and a resurrection of a classic series.
Madden NFL 20 doesn't reinvent the wheel, but the X-factor and Superstar system, combined with Face of the Franchise and a number of smart additions to Franchise and Ultimate Team make it a winner, despite its ongoing bugs and glitches.
Man of Medan combines a strong cast with a memorable story, interesting choices, and co-op play to create an excellent interactive horror movie.
Final Fantasy VIII Remastered still has many of the same design flaws as the original release, but new visuals and gameplay tweaks make this the best version of a beloved classic.
It may not spin the most memorable yarn and have the odd bug, but Trine 4 is an excellent co-op game that understands that the best puzzle solutions and the ones you make yourself, and the best co-op modes are the ones that build themselves around the options having more players brings to the table.
Respawn's latest combines strong level design, excellent puzzles, compelling platforming, great combat, gorgeous visuals, and a fun story to make the best Star Wars game in over a decade.