9.0 out of 10 Review

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.

When Nidhogg first came out a few years ago, it captured the video game world by storm. Almost overnight, this little game about swordfighting became a cult sensation, with players developing deep strategies for what looked to be a rather rudimentary fighting game. Now three years later, Messhof is back with a bigger, bolder, and better-looking sequel. Nidhogg 2 captures everything that was great about the first game, and ratchets the cool and fun factors up to eleven.

There have been a number of fantastic fighting games featuring comic heroes and villains over the years, but few have been as addictive, fun, and well-made as NetherRealm Studios' latest dip into the DC Comics pool.

Equal parts somber, whimsical, devastating and charming, What Remains of Edith Finch is a moving exploration of what it means to be a family, to be loved, to be missed, and how the places we call home become just as much a part of us as we are of them.

Combining some excellent stealth gameplay, lots of exploration, and some terrific plotting, "A Criminal Past" is peak Deus Ex.

Nier: Automata is a kickin' rad action game that's also a twin-stick shoot-’em-up and a 2.5D platformer and role-playing game, and anything else it might need to be at any given moment.

Breath of the Wild breaks the mold and sets the pace for what we should expect out of Zelda games, and though it doesn’t always strike true, it still makes for one of the most gripping and amusing adventure titles we’ve ever played.

Resident Evil 7 Biohazard may have come about because of some spectacular failures, but manages to show that Capcom still has what it takes to make incredible survival horror experiences.

With the best combat the series has seen, the easiest story to embrace, and some of the most hilarious bonus missions you'll ever have played, Yakuza 0 might just be able to put the series in the spotlight it so deserves.