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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.
It’s not going to win any hearts and minds any time soon, but as an open-ended stealth experience, Styx: Shards of Darkness more or less does its job without major stumbles. Less of the lip, though, please.
Algotica - Iteration 1 is a fun puzzle game that effectively uses the basics of programming logic alongside a colorful world. It doesn't reach its aspiration to be an educational title, but there's still plenty of head scratching to be had for fans of the genre.
Kona takes you on an atmospheric adventure where answers to the mysteries are always just around the corner. Although searching for items is a bit tedious, and side tasks muddle proceedings, it creates a frozen world that begs to be exposed.
1-2-Switch contains minigames that are both fun diversions and promising examples of the technology at work within the system’s Joy-Cons, but several duds, a lack of substance or progression, and an expensive asking price make it feel like something that would have been better suited as a pack-in title.
NieR: Automata's engaging narrative, blending of gameplay genres and fantastic soundtrack are what make it special. Though somewhat hampered by simple yet slick combat, and level design that fails to fully realize its sci-fi dystopia setting, it is still a game that is absolutely worth your time.
Despite its very inconsistent tone, lack of polish and finicky vehicles, the solid core gameplay and gorgeous open world make Ghost Recon Wildlands a highly enjoyable co-op multiplayer tactical experience.