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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.
Little Nightmares is like the long, intense screech of a violin before the jump scare - except that the scare never comes and the sound eventually fades to the background. Yes, it's dark and moody, but after establishing the atmosphere it never evolves into something that's really worth playing.
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.
Dawn of War III is a surprisingly inconsistent RTS with a disappointing campaign, coming from one of the most consistent development teams in the genre. The steep initial learning curve, muscle memory and furious multitasking required to fully enjoy the game's multiplayer will likely alienate many series fans, but there are enough good ideas here that you can at least see what Relic were going for with this flawed but occasionally exciting sequel.
What Remains of Edith Finch is a good game, but it fails to arrive at a satisfying conclusion, or build on its gameplay and narrative themes in any satisfying way. Thus, it never elevates itself to be something more than a series of interesting distractions, tied to a mystery that never resolves itself.
It falls a bit flat on some of the more traditional fronts for an open-world shooter, but The Signal From Tölva still makes for an atmospheric, absorbing trek across a strange and ancient landscape. Impressive effort.
There's not enough substance to Mr. Shifty to leave a lasting impression, but the moment-to-moment gameplay is certainly enough to get your blood pumping for a bit. In this case, that was certainly enough for me.
Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap doesn't always put enough distance between itself and its Master System roots to fully appeal as a modern platformer, but it's so brimming with charming, challenging discoveries that dated design choices don't infuriate anywhere near as often as they reward.
Outlast 2 puts together all of its nightmares with amazing clarity and execution. It takes the best parts of the original and adds more variety through natural hiding spots, fantastic interludes, razor-sharp jump scares, intense chases, and more horrific foes. Not many horror games get everything to work this well together.
Persona 5 is a fantastic journey to embark on, full of well-realized characters, serviceable if a little archaic level design, and more than enough activities and distractions to keep you pushing through until its conclusion.
Day of Infamy is another solid - though visually dated - tactical shooter from New World Interactive that benefits from the shift to a World War 2 setting, and the more distinct weaponry and greater context that comes with it.
Has-Been Heroes is a solid tower defense experience that borrows attributes from Plants vs Zombies, while putting its own twist on the formula. Plenty of repetition and frustration - exacerbated by too many randomized elements - but the addictive and enduring gameplay shines through on occasion.
FlatOut 4: Total Insanity is a valiant effort and a modestly satisfactory sequel. Its track design and relative speeds help make it a much better destructive racer than the last effort. However, it still requires tuning when it comes to stunts, visuals, physics, and vehicle damage.
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.
Thimbleweed Park feels like a party that Gilbert threw for his core audience, a true sign of appreciation for those who loved his previous work, and backed this game almost sight unseen. But for others, who aren't fans of Gilbert or the classic adventure genre, it's tough to recommend.
Yooka-Laylee is a fun throwback to a bygone era of gaming, with more than enough charm, variety, and engaging challenges to make up for its shortcomings.
Angels with Scaly Wings generally overcomes its goofy setup and simplistic presentation to deliver a character-driven plot with some good surprises, making for a decent little diversion of a game.
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.
The overall changes in MLB The Show 17 may not be as impressive as those from last year, but this is still yet another solid entry from the powerhouse baseball simulation franchise.
If you can come to terms with Mass Effect: Andromeda's rough edges and embrace its focus on exploring interesting planets and sub-plots above a single epic storyline, there is a substantial and captivating interstellar adventure to be found within.