Absolver is one of the top games of the year. While its level design can use some work, its combat system should be studied and worshiped by anyone trying to make a fighting game.
If MIA were cheaper, or had more interesting art design, or tried to say or do something different than other games like it, or at least leaned a bit more into some of the silliness it gestures at (the dialogue has the occasional quip that indicates something the game could have been), then we'd have a something I could recommend buying. At its current state, it's worth playing if you can get it for cheap. Go save Mars in another game.
Get Even works hard to tell a gripping story with themes of memory, mild horror, and psychological terror -- but there's something missing from Get Even at almost every turn. The kind of polish the game lacks is comprehensive, affecting the game's narrative, playability, level design, sound design, AI, and more, while still providing an enjoyable gaming experience. This is because Get Even is an intriguing psychological-thriller on clunky FPS rails -- a rich, detailed story muddied by its own interest in being something else.
The Surge isn't interested in creating variation in its gameplay mechanics, or exploring more diverse settings or ideas, or creating compelling characters. It washes over you, but it's a refined wash, and the foundation for a great game to come. The Surge is a good thing, and I'm glad it exists as another answer to the Souls-esque games coming out – its dull, but refined sci-fi action makes the game feel like a first step, if only a step, in the right direction.
Yooka-Laylee is gorgeous. It is a delight to behold. But its design and mechanics don't always match up to its ambitions.
Despite lackluster plot and characterization, and inconsistent level and art design, Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition is still a brilliant, imaginative shooter six years later. It looks and plays even better in the current generation, with a few new goodies that are worth giving a look.