PES 2018 still plays a solid game of soccer, but is unable to carry on the momentum built up with last year's good outing. A few gameplay stumbles let down what is otherwise a largely unchanged experience.
Not all of NHL 18's additions are equally successful, with the expanded depth of Franchise Mode overshadowing the flashy but unrewarding NHL Threes. The series continues to offer a good hockey simulation, and while the hardcore and those who play online will be satisfied, there's probably not enough here to make it worth the upgrade for casual fans of last year's edition.
Knack 2 offers a decently enjoyable campaign, with expanded combat options and streamlined gameplay mechanics. It's a fairly typical and accessible modern action/adventure with no big highs or lows, as it makes some improvements over its predecessor. And for some fans, that may just be enough to return for another adventure.
Everybody's Golf is a solid arcade title that seems to do everything right in recreating the sport itself, and providing a carefree and welcoming atmosphere. But unfortunately, some jarring design decisions make this an overly restrictive and tedious experience that few casual players will want to slog through.
Rule with an Iron Fish is a decent offering if you're looking for a mobile-like experience on PC and don't mind the price tag, with a focus on simple and repetitive gameplay with subdued presentation.
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is a great standalone entry and is exactly what you'd hope to get from the first single player expansion in the franchise. It does almost everything just as well as a full price release with great visuals, solid gameplay, and varied multiplayer. Whether or not you've played Uncharted 4, this is an adventure worth undertaking.
Slime Rancher successfully taps into the addictive nature of farming simulators, while managing to make the gameplay loop more engaging and instantly rewarding. Seasoned vets of the genre may find some aspects to be lacking, but if you've never really found the appeal in maintaining your own virtual farm – this may be the game to change your mind.
Derelict Fleet feels like something that was unearthed by a science team digging for artifacts from the early 2000's. This is a game that was somehow preserved until a 2017 release, and now has the audacity to ask for $10 from unsuspecting players. Not many redeeming qualities to be found here, nostalgic or otherwise.
Cars 3: Driven to Win has the potential to be an enjoyable enough kart racer, with plenty of content and true-to-film art style. Unfortunately, frustrating AI and poor presentation, on top of a full asking price, keep this title from reaching a podium finish.
The Fidelio Incident is a solid exploration adventure that's elevated by an interesting premise, engaging story and great voice acting.
Seasons after Fall is a lovely looking adventure that has some charm and decent gameplay, but it gets far too bogged down with repetition in the second half and this ultimately leaves an unsatisfying impression.
Empathy: Path of Whispers attempts to tell a series of intriguing personal stories in a mysterious, abandoned world. The end result however is a visually dated, largely boring, and technically broken game that doesn't deserve your time and money.
A fearsome atmosphere that comes to life thanks to great visual and audio design can't help Pinstripe fully overcome its dull and repetitive gameplay.
Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3 attempts to push the franchise forward by introducing new mechanics and an open world, but the delivery falls flat. With an underwhelming story and plenty of bugs, the result is a game stuck in mediocrity.
Lego City Undercover is a fun and unique entry in the franchise, although it would have probably been more enjoyable had it released back in 2013. The game's mechanics and appeal haven't aged all that well, and a full asking price seems quite unwarranted, but fans of the series without a Wii U will likely appreciate finally being able to play it.
Though its unique art style is masterfully executed, and some of the gameplay elements have a solid foundation, it is the array of technical and multiplayer issues that keep Drawn to Death from succeeding as an arena shooter.
Algotica - Iteration 1 is a fun puzzle game that effectively uses the basics of programming logic alongside a colorful world. It doesn't reach its aspiration to be an educational title, but there's still plenty of head scratching to be had for fans of the genre.
Though ambitious and offering a powerful suite of creation tools for meticulous brick builders, LEGO Worlds is let down by its awkward controls, repetitive quests, an overlong trek to collect Gold Bricks, and a ton of technical issues.
911 Operator successfully taps into some addicting resource management gameplay and effectively combines it with a unique emergency call center scenario. This foundation is solid, but repetitive mechanics combined with a lack of content and relative ease of progress leave this simulation feeling lackluster.
Horizon Zero Dawn offers an entirely unique world and a thrilling experience as an action game, complete with a great story and likeable characters. It doesn't reach its grand RPG aspirations, but the highs are so memorable and entertaining that it's easy to forgive the shortcomings.