Despite some rewarding moments coming at the end of long tracking sequences, Hunting Simulator 2's lack of meaningful progression and long stretches of emptiness make it miss its mark.
While its structural, environmental, and contextual inconsistencies hold Desperados 3 back, its ability to facilitate clever and crafty strategies in its best moments kept me coming back for more.
Despite a shallow loot system, Minecraft Dungeons crafts an enjoyable and relaxing dungeon crawling experience that offers something for both fans of the series and fans of the genre.
Streets of Rage 4 impressively combines classic arcade beat-'em-ups with modern day adjustments to create a fantastic sense of progression and reward in a retro setting.
Despite some frustrating design choices, One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 makes some welcome additions to the One Piece story and the simple yet enjoyable combat, making for a great entry in the saga.
Despite an inconsistent RPG mode, Granblue Fantasy: Versus contains well-balanced and rewarding gameplay for fans, experienced players, and newcomers alike.
Rugby 20 has a passable foundation for rugby gameplay, but repetitive and barebones modes make it last much shorter than its potential.
Journey to the Savage Planet combines a hilarious and upbeat tone with a constant sense of discovery and progression to make for a fantastic explorative experience.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Coteries of New York is a visual novel that has bright spots and some intriguing moments but is brought down by a lot of filler material that adds little to the overall package.
Arise: A Simple Story creates an entire package whose diverse gameplay, beautiful environments, and touching story make for a fully immersive and unmissable experience.
Sniper: Ghost Warrior Contracts is a soft reboot that retools some of the series' defining aspects but has significant problems that hold it back from giving the series the rebirth it wanted.
Planet Zoo is a worthy spiritual successor to Zoo Tycoon and makes improvements in virtually every area to bring the genre into a new generation.