Luke Brown

By allowing players to simply play cards to make their own memorable tracks, as well as providing a surprising bit of strategy in versus modes, DropMix continues Rock Band developers Harmonix's elevated expectations of what can be accomplished when you mix video games with chart-topping hits.

The worlds of Marvel and Capcom have collided several times over the last 20 years, with each encounter bringing with it a host of new characters and varying gameplay elements to set them apart from one another. As the latest entry in the long-running series, Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite has a great burden to bear in catering to longtime players while being completely accessible to those who are only just getting into the franchise. For the most part, Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite succeeds in merging those two ideas well. In fact, Infinite might just be the most welcoming fighting game in the series since 1998.

Bionik's Mantis headphones are a welcome addition to the complete PlayStation VR package, and make enjoying virtual reality on PS4 easier than ever.

When the PlayStation 4 launched in 2013, Knack was one of a small handful of exclusives to arrive with Sony's latest console. Unfortunately for Sony, it wasn't met with much acclaim, leaving the fate of the franchise up in the air. Now four years later, Sony's Japan Studio and director/creator Mark Cerny are back with a sequel that improves on the original in a lot of ways. Knack II calls back to the action platformers of Sony's early days, and though it doesn't do anything remarkable, it's a simple and enjoyable escape.

From the designs of the courses to the way players shut out the rest of the world to make that perfect shot, golf is one of the most beautiful games you can play. That's especially true when it comes to the video game version of the sport, where every last tiny detail of the courses and the environments can be tailored to give spectacular vistas without worrying about real world restrictions like real estate and budgetary concerns. Everybody's Golf (formerly known as Hot Shots Golf in the US) has long been a franchise that maximizes the unlimited scope of games to give players some of the most enjoyable golfing experiences available. With this latest entry on the PlayStation 4, Clap Hanz gives longtime fans and newcomers plenty of reason to hit the links, even if it doesn't quite live up to all its promise.

For a team that came together due to a special event, A-Force made more of an impact than the short life of their solo series would have you believe. The all-woman team of Marvel heroes got their shot during Secret Wars, and then spun off into their own series the Marvel U proper following the end of that event. Though A-Force may not be on Marvel's publishing schedule anymore, Hasbro saw the promise in a team comprised entirely of women and delivered one of the year's most excellent box sets in the Marvel Legends collection.

The Mario Brothers have been around nearly as long as video games themselves, and have starred in just about every single kind of game you can play. In all those decades however, Nintendo's Mushroom Kingdom heroes never faced the gridlocked life of tactical strategy. Apparently, they were just waiting for Ubisoft's goofball Rabbids to provide the impetus. Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is one of the best games in Ubisoft and Nintendo's partnership, and is a surprisingly strong strategy game to boot.

For the longest time, the Uncharted series has strictly followed the adventures of Nathan Drake, a roguish treasure hunter as quick with a quip as he was with a gun. Last year, Nathan's story came to a close in Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, but fans only had to wait a few weeks to learn the franchise's fate was not the same as Nate's. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy was unveiled last summer, and arrives this year with heavy expectations. Not only does Lost Legacy expand on the world and characters of the series in smart, exciting ways, it also offers some of the best puzzles and adventure Uncharted has ever seen.

Over the past few years, EA Sports has been refining the Madden franchise on its proprietary Ignite Engine into a product that would please both competitive players and simulation fans. That often left potential newcomers behind, as Madden grew more complex and required more and more patience to master. After switching to the Frostbite Engine, EA Sports was afforded the chance to welcome players of all skill types with an original story mode called Longshot, as well as redefining the on-field action for every fan possible. As a result, Madden NFL 18 is quite possibly the best this football franchise has ever been.

Volition has made a name for itself developing some of the most memorable and unconventional open-world games of the last decade. Over that time, the developer's Saints Row series turned from a simple satire into a franchise that surpassed its inspiration in creativity, originality, and humor. Agents of Mayhem may be a departure from the long-running crime series, but Volition's latest creation has personality and excitement in spades.