Battle Chasers: Nightwars is a damn good update to JRPGS of old, carrying the genre into 2018 without sacrificing what made it so appealing to begin with. The fact it's now portable on the Switch just makes it better still.
Project Cars 2 is one of the most hardcore racing sims in years and pulls off what it sets out to do wonderfully. Unforgiving and awesome.
WWE 2K18 is a great wrestling game with a crazy amount of depth that feels a bit too similar to 2K17 to really hit new highs. If you love the franchise, however, this will rock your world.
The Escapists 2 is everything the first game was and more. Give it some time and it won't be long before its claws have sunk in and you're hooked.
If you've been waiting for Sonic to become relevant for some time, you don't have to wait anymore. Mania has righted all those wrongs and then some.
WipEout Omega Collection is a remaster that any fan is going to go loopy over, and there's a high possibility it'll find a new audience, too. A very slick and well-designed update.
Get Even refuses to be pigeon-holed at any point, and though some people won't be able keep up with the madness, for those that can it's an entirely unique experience. Bandai Namco may just have the most interesting game of 2017 here, and a potential huge cult hit.
Little Nightmares is one of the most unique and impressive games of this ilk to come along in a while and deserves all the credit in the world for managing to be as devastatingly terrifying as it is. It takes some skill to make a little girl in a yellow mac going for a wander an arguably more harrowing experience than Resident Evil 7, but Tarsier may have achieved just that.
Outlast 2 takes its original idea and builds on it very well to create a sequel that's straight up terrifying. A must for those who love nothing more than feeling the fear.
WWE 2K17 is the best wrestling game in years and also introduces some new features that should become highlights over time. A complete overhaul at some point in the future wouldn’t go amiss, just to see what 2K is capable of with a fresh slate, but what's been added here is all very welcome and well executed.
Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam does everything you would expect it to do, and is all the better for it.
DOOM is an excellent and exceptionally fun first first-person shooter. That's all you need to know.
Super Mario Maker is a fantastic creation tool. Just don't expect it to be much more than that.
A great game made better thanks to a lovely lick of paint.
Telltale's final piece of content for The Enemy Within is as surprising as it is crazy. And because of that, it's the studio's best game for sometime. Expect the unexpected and just enjoy the ride.
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Sage is genuinely one of my favourite remasters in years – I can't remember a time that I've smiled as much while playing a game. Good humour combined with smart mechanics and that Nintendo absurdity make for an exceptionally good mix
NBA 2K18 is very likely the best basketball game ever made and a template in how to approach a sports sim on nearly every level.
Injustice 2 is both a fantastic fighting game and a great use of the DC licence, too. You won't find much better in the genre on either the Xbox One or PS4.
This is the ultimate Hitman experience, compiling a slew of excellent maps with an additional campaign that, while short, is terrific fun. IO Interactive has somehow managed to give players an immense sense of freedom without sacrificing the creativity so essential to Hitman. If you're looking for something stealthy to dig into, you can't do much better than this.
Persona 5 is one of the best JRPGs in recent memory, overflowing with originality, entertainment and straight up weirdness. It’s pretty damn good.