Steven Bogos
This time around, Kickstarter actually did come to the rescue, delivering a game that is very much worthy of being called the spiritual successor to Banjo-Kazooie. Yooka-Laylee is a game for fans who miss the N64 days of running around a huge, open map, collecting a bunch of stuff and having a bit of a laugh. It's cute, it's funny, and a few minor technical issues aside, it's exactly what it promised to deliver.
Halo Wars 2 is the sequel that no-one really asked for, but is a surprisingly solid traditional base-building RTS, and is finally on a platform suited for the genre. The campaign is a little lacking, but several different multiplayer modes and the promise of "six months of regular updates" make up for it.
Sun and Moon may just be another iteration of the Pokemon formula, but it's the best we've seen so far. So many subtle quality-of-life changes, as well as tweaks to old features and helpful new features add up to make Pokemon's final hurrah on the 3DS one to remember. Just don't go expecting anything fantastic out of the story...
Gears of War 4 is the best Gears yet. Don't expect a revolution, but a refinement of all of the aspects that make Gears great, including an over-the-top, almost cartoonish campaign, and a kick-ass upgrade of Horde mode. It's also a flawless representative of Microsoft's new "Play Anywhere" and Universal Windows Platform initiatives.
Hardcore fans of the series will still enjoy it despite its flaws. Newcomers may want to check out the original Phoenix Wright trilogy on DS, where the series is at its strongest.
If being able to play by yourself at your own pace is a priority, then Legion is for you. If you want to relive your World of Warcraft glory days, maybe give this one a miss.
It's a bit rough around the edges, and the first few hours are a slog, but Starbound is a deep and vast constructor with a killer soundtrack.
Blood and Wine is not the epic "save the world" adventure prior Witcher titles were, but that's okay. It's a fond farewell to Geralt of Rivea, ensuring your last adventure with The Witcher leaves a smile on your face.
Overwatch is a fast, fun, and fresh take on the class-based shooter. Blizzard has made sure its first new IP in 17 years is polished to perfection.
Stardew Valley is an absolutely charming little gem about forgetting all your worries and relaxing on a farm.
Star Wars: Battlefront does a fantastic job of transporting players into the Star Wars universe for a big initial kicker, but that ultimately fades when you realize how light it is on content and game features. A textbook case of style over substance.
Hearts of Stone, despite not really adding that much new "stuff", tells an amazing, engaging story that is worthy of the $10 price tag. While The Wild Hunt was the conclusion to an epic, climactic saga, Hearts of Stone is simply another story in the life of Witcher Geralt.
Ronin is a remarkably average game. When it works, it's kind of fun, but there just isn't enough here to maintain interest, and it has nothing that we haven't seen before.