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Updates from GameSpot Image Galleries GameSpot Image Galleries In the 06/30/2018 edition: Biggest Battle Royale Games To Play In 2018: Battlefield 5, Call Of Duty Black Ops 4, And More Steam Summer Sale 2018: 22 Best PC Game Deals Best Nintendo Switch Games Right Now (As Of June 2018) Best Steam Summer Sale 2018 Games That Cost $20 Or Less Biggest Xbox One Games Coming In 2019 And Beyond: Gears 5, Anthem, And More Biggest Nintendo Switch Exclusives Of 2018: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Mario Tennis Aces The Biggest PS4 Exclusive Games To Play In 2018: Spider-Man, God Of War, And More This Huge Lego Voltron Toy Will Be Available Soon, Starting At Comic-Con The Best Games Of 2018 (So Far): PS4, Xbox One, PC, And Switch 19 Biggest Jump Scares In Horror Movies The Week's Best Video Game Deals: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC Best Cheap PC Games On Steam You Can Buy Right Now Biggest Battle Royale Games To Play In 2018: Battlefield 5, Call Of Duty Black Ops 4, And More By Matt Espineli on Jun 30, 2018 12:27 am Going Battle Royale After the smash success of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds and Fortnite, battle royale games are quickly evolving, moving past the genre's humble beginnings as mods for large-scale survival games, like ARMA 2 and Minecraft, and into new territory. This year alone is packed with a slew of new battle royale games that aim to push the genre further by expanding its most well established tenets. To keep you informed of all the latest games in the genre, we've compiled 14 of the biggest battle royale games releasing in 2018. Below you can find a full list of the battle royale games releasing this year. In addition, you find out more in the feature ahead. Battle Royale Games Of 2018 Battlefield 5 SOS Stand Out: VR Battle Royale Mavericks: Proving Grounds Islands of Nyne Fear the Wolves Proxima Royale Fractured Lands Realm Royale Rapture Rejects Maelstorm Europa Egress Survival Games: Battle Royale The Darwin Project Dying Light: Bad Blood Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Battlerite Royale H1Z1 While there's plenty of battle royale games out there, we've decidedly narrowed it down to the ones most worth looking into this year. Many of the latest battle royale games are expanding upon it by throwing new mechanics into the mix. Some games add in spectator elements and dynamic environmental effects, while others are taking the experience to VR. It's exciting to see how some developers are pushing the genre to entirely new directions. There are also battle royale games this year are opting for a more traditional approach. Games like Europa and Mavericks: Proving Grounds are sticking to the last person standing approach but across different scales and with additional mechanics, like dynamic environmental effects and higher player counts. These games offer veteran players fascinating situations to test their skills. Even the biggest gaming franchises are incorporating battle royale into its repertoire. The upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 and Battlefield 5 have battle royale-like modes. We can only imagine what other popular franchises plan to introduce the mode at E3 2018. Regardless of what you prefer, it's safe to say that there is likely a new battle royale game for you. But which one are you looking forward to the most? Let us know in the comments below. And be sure to check back often as we update this feature with even more new battle royale games as they get announced. Battlefield 5 | PS4, Xbox One, PC During EA's E3 2018 press conference, Battlefield V developer DICE confirmed that a battle royale mode will be available in the game at some point. DICE creative director Lars Gustavsson stated that games like Fortnite and PUBG are popular among the developer's employees. The idea to add a battle royale mode to Battlefield V came from conversations DICE developers were having about the game inside the studio as opposed to being a directive that EA handed down to the studio, he suggested. Release Date: TBA (Mode expected to release sometime after October 11 launch) Fear the Wolves | PC, PS4, Xbox One Fear the Wolves is a battle royale game set in an apocalyptic Chernobyl-like wasteland. It brings an interesting twist to the formula by introducing unpredictable weather cycles. In addition, there are radioactive zones that players can only explore with the proper gear. Release Date: PC Early Access TBA 2018 (Console version expected to launch in 2019) Rapture Rejects | PC Rapture Rejects is an upcoming battle royale game set in the popular Cyanide & Happiness cartoon universe. Unlike its contemporaries, the game sets players in a hellish otherworld where God has abandoned humanity, and the only option left is to kill until only one person is left standing. Release Date: TBA 2018 Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 | PS4, Xbox One, PC The upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is going to feature a battle royale mode. Dubbed Blackout, the new mode pits players against each other in a fight to be the last one standing. Where it differs from other battle royale games, however, is that it draws heavily on previous Black Ops titles. Developer Treyarch says it wanted to create a battle royale mode "the Black Ops way," and to that end, it has incorporated elements from the entire series into the mode. Release Date: October 12 Battlerite Royale | PC Battlerite Royale is an upcoming mode for the team-based arena brawler where 20 players fight on a map 30 times larger than the game's standard arena mode map. You can play solo or as a pair, with 27 distinct heroes to choose from. The rules are standard fair as a battle royale game: drop in, gather supplies, kill people, and come out as the last person alive. Platforms: PC | Release Date: Summer 2018 (Standard Game is Available Now) Maelstorm | PC Maelstorm offers an interesting spin on the battle royale genre. Rather than take on the format of a first-person or third-person shooter, the game focuses on naval combat in a fantasy setting. You're pitted against 15 other players in a a battle to be the last "ship" standing. While you fight off other players and NPC ships, there are also sea monsters to worry about that'll attempt to sink you. And if the game's premise isn't enough to pull you in, it also offers progression and loot systems to keep you invested in and outside of battle. Release Date: Available Now via Steam Early Access Egress Egress is an RPG battle royale game with a Soulsborne-like combat system. It's set in an alternate universe that combines visuals elements from Victorian-era architecture, Lovecraftian mythology, and Retrowave. Release Date: TBA 2018 H1Z1 | PC (PS4 and Xbox One Versions Coming Soon) Formerly known as H1Z1: King of the Kill, H1Z1 is the battle royale version of the zombie-survival sandbox game, Just Survive. It pits 150 players against each other in a last-man-standing deathmatch; players can choose to play solo, with a partner, or in groups of five. In addition to the game's standard battle royale mode, H1Z1 features a mode called Auto Royale, where four players drive a car into battle, collecting power-ups in order to emerge the last team driving. Platforms: PC | Release Date: Available Now Proxima Royale Proxima Royale is a sci-fi-themed battle royale where up to 60 players duke it out in a last "robot" standing conflict on an alien planet. The game is in early access, having had a few closed alphas over the past month or so. Release Date: TBA SOS | PC SOS offers something unique: it requires a microphone, and your social skills and sense of showmanship will be put to the test. Each player has to present themselves in an interesting way to stand out and earn the favor of a live audience. Each game is broadcast live online via the social gaming platform Hero, with spectators voting on possible in-game events like supply drops or bombing runs. The main goal is to find one of four relics spread across the map, and then signal for extraction and make it onto a helicopter. This sounds simple on paper, but 15 other players are also striving to accomplish the same goal, and with only a few seats on the helicopter, you're going to need to be clever and ruthless if you want to survive. Release Date: Available Now via Steam Early Access Realm Royale | PC, PS4, Xbox One Realm Royale is a 100-player battle royale spin-off of Paladins: Champions of the Realm. It takes on qualities similar to other battle royale games, but attempts to redefine them by introducing mechanics from hero shooters, with myriad playable characters, each with their own unique skills and abilities. In addition, it emphasizes cooperative play, as it's designed to be played primarily in four-person squads. Release Date: Available Now via Steam Early Access The Darwin Project | PC, Xbox One The Darwin Project is a third-person competitive multiplayer battle royale game with more of an emphasis on survival than its competitors. In order to win, you must endure extreme weather conditions, while tracking opponents and setting up traps in order to be the last one left alive. It's most noteworthy quality is that it incorporates reality TV show elements into its gameplay, like spectator interaction and a show director who controls varying aspects of the arena. Release Date: Available Now via Steam Early Access and Xbox One Game Preview program Mavericks: Proving Grounds | PC Mavericks: Proving Grounds is an first-person battle royale game where up to 400 players do battle in a highly dynamic environment. For example, you can set fire to a map, tactically spreading it to others parts of the map to either damage other players or cut them off. In addition, the game promises more intelligent mission systems, social hubs, and a player-driven narrative that informs your experiences playing the game. Release Date: TBA 2018 (Beta opens Summer 2018) Islands of Nyne | PC Islands of Nyne is a sci-fi-themed first-person battle royale game that's more skill-driven than its competitors. Based on how well you play, you'll earn special armor sets and weapon skins for your character. There's also a player betting system, which allows you to use in-game credits to place bets on individual players or teams during a match to win more equipment or skins. Release Date: TBA 2018 (Currently in Closed Alpha, which you can get into by pre-ordering the game) Dying Light: Bad Blood | PC, PS4, Xbox One Dying Light: Bad Blood is a standalone battle royale-esque expansion of the critically acclaimed Dying Light. It seems an almost unexpected release, but apparently it was made by developer Techland due to numerous fan requests. In Bad Blood, six players are dropped into random locations around the map in a race to acquire enough samples from several powerful infected zombies. As you take down these special zombies, you'll collect samples and potentially level up your character--boosting their health, agility, and attack power. The first one to acquire all the samples and escape in the evac chopper wins. Release Date: TBA 2018 (a Global Playtest is schedule for sometime this year, which you can sign up for via the Dying Light website) Europa | PC Europa is Chinese publisher Tencent's contribution to the battle royale genre. Unlike its competitors, the game will feature real-time weather, underwater exploration, environmental kills, and destructible cover. Whether Europa releases anywhere besides China remains to be seen. Release Date: TBA 2018 in China only Survival Games: Battle Royale | PC Survival Games: Battle Royale retains the genre's tried and true premise, but provides some twists of its own. Maps are procedurally generated and you must keep track of your stats and hunger as you fight to be the last one standing. In addition, the game sports a map editor that allows you design your own custom battle royale arenas. Release Date: Available Now via Steam Early Access Stand Out: VR Battle Royale | PC (Oculus Rift, HTC Vive) Playing a battle royale game in VR sounds like a huge challenge, but developer raptor lab is looking to make it happen with Standout: Battle Royale VR. In order to survive a match, you'll literally have to crouch down to avoid enemy and lean in and out of cover to get a clear line of sight on opponents; you can even reach out and snatch a magazine from a player's hands. Release Date: Available Now via Steam Early Access Fractured Lands | PC Fractured Lands sets the 100-player battle royale formula in a Mad Max-inspired post-apocalyptic wasteland. The game features classic genre mechanics, like resource management and tactical first-person shooting. However, it also sports an emphasis on car combat and vehicle customization. Release Date: Available Summer 2018 via Steam Early Access (Available now in Closed Beta) Steam Summer Sale 2018: 22 Best PC Game Deals By Chris Pereira on Jun 30, 2018 12:05 am With the start of summer comes Steam's annual summer sale. This time around, Valve has introduced a new theme, dubbing this edition the Steam Intergalactic Summer Sale. Despite the name tweak, you know what to expect: 2018's sale brings discounts on a massive number of games. Valve says more than 10,000 are on sale right now, which is a staggering total. That's far too many for anyone to hope to parse through, but that's where we come in. Rather than wade through countless pages of discounted titles, we've rounded up a selection of worthwhile games that you should consider buying before the sale ends. The specific amount you'll save varies greatly, but we've asked GameSpot's staff for their favorite deals, and we've come up with a selection that runs the gamut from big-name, triple-A games to lesser-known (but nonetheless excellent) titles. Whether you're looking for shooters, RPGs, strategy games, or something else, we've got you covered. The Steam Intergalactic Summer Sale, like recent sales on the platform, is relatively straightforward. Valve has done away with the daily and flash deals, as well as voting; you don't have to check in every eight hours to avoid missing out on what you're looking for. That might have done away with some of the excitement of past Steam sales, but it does make shopping much easier, as you can rest assured that anything you buy now isn't going to be discounted more heavily later in the sale. If you're specifically looking for cheap stuff, check out our recommendations for Steam sale games under $5. This sale does feature one wrinkle, which is where the "intergalactic" aspect comes in. Steam's homepage allows you to jump into what's called the Summer Saliens game, which sees you head to planets and save various games that have been abducted by aliens. You'll earn XP and unlock new abilities, RPG-style, although it's all rather simplistic. While perhaps not worth playing for long on the strength of its gameplay, you may want to dive in anyway, as doing so can earn you Steam trading cards. More notably, defending certain planets enters you to win a corresponding game, with your odds increasing as your Salien stays on the same planet for longer. The Steam Summer Sale runs from now until July 5, and a variety of anime is also on sale. Be sure to let us know your picks for worthwhile deals, as well as what you plan to pick up, in the comments below. Agents of Mayhem - Total Mayhem Bundle | $16.05 / £13.21 (72% off) Agents of Mayhem takes Saint Row IV's pure insanity and cranks it up to 11. Canonically taking place after the Gat Out of Hell "recreate earth" ending, Agents of Mayhem is a story of bad vs. evil. I loved the diverse range of personalities, races, and sexualities that compose the lovable rogues that make up MAYHEM, an organization set on destroying the evil terrorist group known as LEGION. My favorite agent is Daisy, an ex-roller derby girl with a knack for cussing, drinking, having sex, and handling heavy weaponry, but I also loved the the queer logistics officer Friday, storytelling ninja Scheherazade, and loud-mouthed Safeword (who's this universe's version of Saint Row's Kinzie Kensington). -- Jordan Ramee, Associate Editor Agents of Mayhem on Steam Cities: Skylines | $7.49 / £5.74 (75% off) Where EA's SimCity (2013) dropped the ball, Cities: Skylines picked it up, and it ran. It ran far, wide, and it's never stopped, even to this day. The city builder has positively delivered everything that anyone has ever wanted out of this kind of game, and has seen a steady stream of expansions over the past three years. But even if you're just interested in trying the vanilla experience during this Steam sale, Cities: Skyline's incredibly accessible modding options, and its amazing community will give you more than enough content to gorge on. There's a lot of joy to be had in city building and management games, and Cities: Skylines is the definitive game in the genre. -- Edmond Tran, AU Editor / Senior Video Producer Cities: Skylines on Steam Danganronpa 1 + 2 Bundle | $22 / £16.18 (46% off) Danganronpa is a murder-mystery story taken to the weirdest extremes. When a group of gifted high school students awakes in their new school, they find that all the exits have been sealed. Then, their new headmaster--a robotic bear named Monokuma--tells them that in order to leave, they have to murder a classmate and fool the survivors. It's up to you to successfully investigate each grisly (yet colorful) murder and maybe figure out who's the mastermind behind the sadistic setup along the way. Now mostly concluded after the release of Danganronpa V3, Danganronpa is one of my favorite game series of all time. Getting both Danganropna 1 and 2 for this price is an absolute steal. -- Kallie Plagge, Associate Editor Danganronpa 1 + 2 on Steam Dark Souls III | $14.99 / £9.99 (75% off) If the recent release of Dark Souls: Remastered hasn't gotten you to try out From Software and Hidetaka Miyazaki's fantastic Souls series, maybe the heavily discounted Dark Souls III will. Dark Souls III takes the dilapidated world of the Souls games and adds new lands to discover, a quicker pace to the combat, and plenty of upgrades to the multiplayer, all while maintaining the strong world and level design that has made the series stand out so much. While I don't personally find the game to be as strong of an entry into the series as Dark Souls or Bloodborne, I could not put this game down when I first picked it up. For players looking for a rewarding game with challenge, I could not recommend the game more. -- Dave Klein, Video Producer Dark Souls III on Steam Dead Cells | $11.99 / £10.19 (40% off) Dead Cells takes the DNA of Dark Souls, Castlevania, and a heavy dose of roguelike to create something that's more than the sum of its parts. This addictive and thrilling side-scrolling adventure boasts a bevy of tense moments, challenging bosses, and satisfying combat. The core of the game is based on growing with each run, as every failure brings new lessons to learn, items to unlock, and points to take with you into the next life. With a huge array of weapons, skills and playstyles, Dead Cells is a game that epitomises the "one more try" style of play. After your first few deaths, you'll be hooked and hungry for success. -- Dave Jewitt, Video Producer Dead Cells on Steam Divinity: Original Sin 2 | $35.99 / £23.99 (20% off) I have, admittedly, never actually finished Divinity: Original Sin 2, and yet there are few games on Steam (included in this sale or not) that I'd recommend more highly. Like its predecessor, it's such an ambitious game that it's astounding that it's able to pull it off so effectively on all fronts. Original Sin 2 is chock-full of fascinating characters and a seemingly endless array of ways to approach any given situation. While it puts up a real challenge (at least on difficulties other than its lowest), I've not managed to make it to the end because what's most difficult is resisting the urge to restart and try a different way of handling many of the game's scenarios. Original Sin 2 might be more expensive than many of the games on this list, but its combination of an excellent narrative, numerous secrets to uncover, and complex combat--all wrapped in an extremely replayable package--make it well worth the price of entry. -- Chris Pereira, News Editor Divinity: Original Sin 2 on Steam Doom (2016) | $15 / £9.99 (50% off) If you haven't played 2016's Doom reboot yet, now's a good time--publisher Bethesda announced a sequel, Doom Eternal, at E3 this year. This new Doom is self-aware in its intensity, with its high-octane demon-slaying madness backed by an over-the-top metal score. It's both a return and an homage to the corridor shooting of the series' past, but modern touches also make it feel like a step forward for the series. As a bonus, the classic Doom levels hidden in each mission are both fun to find and provide the perfect amount of nostalgia. -- Kallie Plagge, Associate Editor Doom on Steam Everspace | $9.89 / £7.58 (67% off) I'm usually not a huge fan of roguelike games, but something about Everspace just kept dragging me back for more. Stressing over every jump between sectors, while trying to simultaneously circumnavigate challenging fights and monitor my fuel cost, kept me constantly on edge. The mindless humdrum of outfitting a new vessel would quickly replace every frustrating death, and I'd promise myself I'd get a little bit further on my next excursion. I enjoyed solving the overarching mystery in the main storyline, but Everspace's tight controls and hectic dogfights were what drew me into its quiet beauty. -- Jordan Ramee, Associate Editor Everspace on Steam Forgotton Anne | $14.99 / £11.61 (25% off) About 15 minutes into Forgotton Anne, I was curled up on the couch and weeping, after mistakenly profiling an illegal immigrant as a terrorist and getting him killed. Forgotton Anne never gave me a chance to catch my breath, though, and continued to dole out emotional punches. This adventure-platformer threw me into a role I've never played before: an officer who enforces border control. Anne must squash a rebellion that threatens her and that of her master, and the player chooses whether or not she goes about that task with any mercy. I'll admit, I was fooled by the pretty Studio Ghibli-style art into thinking this would be a game for kids. I was so wrong. -- Jordan Ramee, Associate Editor Forgotton Anne on Steam Grand Theft Auto V | $19.79 / £13.19 (67% off) There's a good chance that, by now, you're one of the incredible number of people who have bought Grand Theft Auto V. If not, this is as cheap as it's ever been, making it easier to buy a copy for you and a few friends. And you'll want to play with friends, because there aren't many games like GTA Online and its heists. These multi-part missions that have you working in tandem with friends (or strangers, if you're less fortunate) are among the most fun I've ever had with a multiplayer game. Dodging a military jet in your biplane until you can pick up your friends who are breaking someone out of prison makes for an unforgettable, tense experience. GTA 5's single-player remains enjoyable, and buying it on PC gives you access to mods, but this is well worth the price of entry for GTA Online alone. -- Chris Pereira, News Editor GTA V on Steam Iconoclasts | $16.99 / £14.86 (15% off) An iconoclast is a person who destroys a religious image or symbol, and that's the exact role you take on in this indie Metroidvania title. I didn't find Iconoclasts' puzzles or platforming segments to be all that challenging, but the game makes up for these faults with dozens of intense boss battles, a wonderful cast of characters, and a nuanced narrative. It's been a while since a video game's story really made me stop and think about the consequences of my in-game actions, and whether I was playing the role of the hero or the villian. Despite the protagonist's silence, Robin also makes for a fantastic hero, whose adorable emotes and expressive poses convey her helpful yet naive nature. -- Jordan Ramee, Associate Editor Iconoclasts on Steam Into the Breach | $11.99 / £9.11 (20% off) From the creators of FTL comes hands down, one of 2018's best games. Into the Breach is tactical strategy boiled down to its purest elements, with completely transparent mechanics that let you know exactly what the enemy is going to do next, and what effect your hypothetical actions will have before you make them. This alone makes every single turn a satisfying brain-churn that has you poring over all the game's exciting and multi-faceted cause-and-effect systems. With dozens of unique mechs, it's a sincere joy to experiment and replay Into the Breach again and again and again. -- Edmond Tran, AU Editor / Senior Video Producer Into the Breach on Steam Nioh: Complete Edition | $29.99 / £23.99 (40% off) As developer Team Ninja admits, Nioh is a game that was deeply inspired by Dark Souls. It combines Souls' mechanics with the action and combo mechanics of Team Ninja's previous franchise, Ninja Gaiden. While the game can be brutal with a steep learning curve, I absolutely loved the depth to its combat and gameplay. The game is set in Feudal Japan, with winding and interconnected level design, and the enemies are various Yokai, or supernatural monsters pulled straight out of Japanese folklore, all serving to give the game a unique style and feel. Souls fans have been split on Nioh, but I found the game stands out on its own, and the moment Nioh 2 was announced at E3 this year, my knee-jerk reaction was: YES! I want more of that! -- Dave Klein, Video Producer Nioh on Steam Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition | $9.99 / £7.49 (50% off) When pressed for time and trying to explain what makes Ori and the Blind Forest so special, I tell people that it's a Meat Boy-Metroidvania--intense platforming balanced against exploration and wonder. It gets the point across, but the reality is that it's so much more than that. The gorgeous art style and animation mix with fine-tuned controls that make the whole experience feel smooth as silk. The fable-like story is a resonant one about empathy and love. It's one of the best games to have come out in the last few years, and absolutely deserves more attention before the sequel arrives in 2019. -- Steve Watts, News Writer Ori and the Blind Forest on Steam Papers, Please | $4.99 / £3.49 (50% off) I sincerely hope you're skipping this entry because you've already played and finished this game, because Papers, Please is one of my favourite games of all time. It's a modern classic where premise and mechanics marry together beautifully with difficult moral choices, strict consequences, and an unavoidable imperative for self-gain. You play an immigration inspector on a politically tumultuous Eastern European border, charged with inspecting and cross-referencing documents, controlling the flow of people, and correcting following protocol above all else. Hidden amongst civilians are spies and terrorists, but also sympathetic stories of innocent people caught by the riptides of war, trying to hang on to a semblance of life. Where does your loyalty lie: To the job that's keeping your family fed, to the greater good, yourself, or potentially, something else? How far are you willing to push your moral compass? Paper, Please is a masterpiece through and through, and it makes stamping passports feel like the most satisfying feeling in the whole world. -- Edmond Tran, AU Editor / Senior Video Producer Papers, Please on Steam Prey | $15 / £9.99 (50% off) Prey is arguably one of the most underappreciated and overlooked games of 2017. It captures so much of what I love about immersive sims, particularly in its environmental storytelling--emails, notes, and other personal items weave the stories of who was on the space station before everything went wrong, and piecing things together takes careful attention to detail. Each part of the station also presents you with multiple ways to solve a problem, be it getting past an enemy Typhon or getting into a locked room, and all those things combined make traversal and exploration rewarding. The new DLC is just one more reason to pick Prey up while it's on sale. -- Kallie Plagge, Associate Editor Prey on Steam Stardew Valley | $12 / £8.79 (20% off) I've put around 300 hours into Stardew Valley between the PC and Nintendo Switch versions, and it's become one of my favorite games I've ever played. I'm a big proponent of the Switch version now, but if you don't have one or prefer playing on PC, now's your best chance to try it out. Stardew Valley is everything I ever wanted Harvest Moon games to be, and it's made even better by its complex characters and surprisingly heavy themes. I don't want to spoil anything, but this is a game where you get out what you put into it--and there's a lot to discover. -- Kallie Plagge, Associate Editor Stardew Valley on Steam SteamWorld Dig 2 | $13.39 / £10.04 (33% off) On its face, a game like SteamWorld Dig shouldn't have worked, much less warranted a sequel. A modern-day rogue-like Dig Dug, SteamWorld Dig carried an oddly relaxing gameplay loop: burrow your way underground, find some loot, come back up and spend it on upgrades, repeat. Its sequel, SteamWorld Dig 2, improves on the predecessor in every way, offering better upgrades, more character customization options, and challenge rooms for the truly enterprising spelunker. Sometimes you just want more of a great thing. -- Steve Watts, News Writer SteamWorld Dig 2 on Steam Stellaris | $15.99 / £13.99 (60% off) The masters of grand historical strategy, Paradox Interactive, released their ambitious spacefaring 4X game Stellaris a couple of years ago, but if you haven't played it yet, you're definitely better off coming into it now. As is typical, the Swedish developer has improved the game significantly with free updates and meaningful expansions over time and addressed many concerns. Beginning with a single planet, you'll expand your empire, discover new galaxies, inhabit new worlds, meet new alien races, and see where your interactions with them may lead. Stellaris is certainly a complex 4X game, but like other Paradox titles, once you begin to internalise it, gain momentum, and appreciate the myriad nuances to its systems, you'll probably never think about playing anything else for a good, long while. -- Edmond Tran, AU Editor / Senior Video Producer Stellaris on Steam Valkyria Chronicles | $5.94 / £5.09 (66% off) I hope no PC devotees out there will get upset when I say that one of the most innovative tactical strategy games of the past decade was born as a console game, and is anime as hell. Valkyria Chronicles puts some strange twists on its alternate version of World War II, but that doesn't deny the fact that its battle system is unique and fun. You plan and order troops in a turn-based fashion with a top-down strategy phase, but then need to personally move an ordered troop or vehicle in a real-time third-person mode and line up their shots. It may sound arduous, but it's incredibly satisfying and exciting to actually do. Its beautiful watercolour art direction has aged very well, and with Valkyria Chronicles 4 coming out on PC and consoles later this year, you might as well see what the fuss is all about. -- Edmond Tran, AU Editor / Senior Video Producer Valkyria Chronicles on Steam Vanquish | $6.79 / £5.09 (66% off) If you're a fan of over-the-top action games and you haven't played Vanquish, then you haven't lived. Directed by Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami, the magnum opus of PlatinumGames' resume contains incredibly fast-paced shooting with an emphasis on movement. Equipped with a high-tech battle-suit with jet-boosters, you'll charge head-first through bullet-hell scenarios, gunning down robotic foes as you constantly dodge, vault, slow-down time, and famously, butt-slide at great speed. It's one of the most invigorating actions games of the past decade, and it has a dedicated command to smoke a cigarette. You owe it to yourself to play Vanquish. -- Edmond Tran, AU Editor / Senior Video Producer Vanquish on Steam The Witcher 3: Game of the Year Edition | $19.99 / £13.99 (60% off) If you ask me (and many others who have played this remarkable action RPG), The Witcher 3 is the best game of this generation. It's huge, gorgeous, well-written, mature, and exceedingly fun to play. The dark fantasy world it's set in is perfectly rendered and unlike any other you'll find in all of games. Despite its sense of finality, here's hoping it's not the last game we'll get to play in this world, with these characters. It's a great ride. -- Chris Reed, Commerce Editor The Witcher 3: Complete Edition on Steam Best Nintendo Switch Games Right Now (As Of June 2018) By Matt Espineli on Jun 30, 2018 12:02 am The Best Switch Games So Far After the Wii U, the release of the Nintendo Switch marked the beginning of an new generation for Nintendo. The universally praised The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild launched alongside it, giving the Switch all it needed to quickly rise to the top of console sales charts and dramatically increase Nintendo's revenue. In the year since its launch, there has been no shortage of fantastic games coming to the hybrid console, from huge first-party games like Mario and Kirby to indie darlings like Owlboy and Celeste. The library only seems to be expanding and improving with every consecutive release. In this feature, we're taking a look back at the best Switch games so far. This includes games that have received a score of 8 or higher on GameSpot since the console's release, as well as reviews for new games and updates to reviews of older games that were ported to Switch. Check out our choices for the best games released on the Switch. And with the console's library continuing to expand, make sure to check back often as we update this feature over the coming weeks and months. For an analysis of Nintendo Switch's first year, be sure to read our retrospective feature discussing the console's various successes and failures. In addition, you can also check out our features detailingall the Wii U games we ported to Switch, 13 things we want to see from the console. West of Loathing -- 8/10 "There are a few minor issues--inventory management on Switch becomes cumbersome as you collect an increasing amount of things, fights with a lot of enemies can obscure some pertinent information, and the stakes sometimes feel a little too low to be completely motivating. But West of Loathing's focus on maintaining a flexible, open-ended nature and lighthearted, humorous feel keeps you engaged in what feels like an imaginative pen-and-paper Dungeons and Dragons campaign, led by a game master whose only goal is to make sure you're laughing and having a fun time. West of Loathing's visuals are monochromatic, but there's enjoyable comedy painted between every line, a pitch-perfect Spaghetti Western soundtrack, and a full spectrum of role-playing possibilities to choose from that make it a consistently enjoyable madcap cowboy jaunt." [Read the full review] -- Edmond Tran, Editor and Video Producer BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle -- 9/10 "Whether playing through the story mode alone or against hardened opponents online, Cross Tag Battle is an absolute joy with a surplus of possibilities within its wide roster and versatile fighting system. Even with all the ridiculousness of the overarching plot, I reveled in the charm of my favorite characters and embraced the many moments of fan service. It's a masterful unification of styles and mechanics from four different universes that compels you to dig deeper and dedicate the time to getting the most out of the beloved members of this cast." [Read the full review] -- Michael Higham, Associate Editor Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection -- 8/10 "That's more or less the story of the 30th Anniversary Collection. It won't satisfy every specific demand, but it's still a big collection of awesome games and behind-the-scenes content that no Street Fighter fan should miss. Street Fighter is a series worth celebrating and Digital Eclipse has managed to do so in a manner that feels respectful to the series and to the people who keep the spirit of arcade battles alive." [Read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Reviews Editor Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition -- 8/10 "Those returning to the fray will likely be a little disappointed as there just isn't enough new content to rouse fresh excitement. For newcomers, though, Hyrule warriors is a delightful, bizarre outing that opens up the Zelda series, taking us places we've been before, just with thousands of monsters and awesome, screen-clearing magical attacks." [Read the full review] -- Daniel Starkey Battle Chasers: Nightwar -- 8/10 "Beyond the challenge of combat, Battle Chasers is sustained through the strength of its story, a rollicking tale that takes our heroes literally to hell and back. It's bolstered by some sharp dialogue, gorgeous artwork, and an ensemble that plays extremely well off of each other. Lots of work has gone into Nightwar since its first release, and the balancing improvements make it an easy game to recommend on all platforms." [Read the full review] -- Justin Clark Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze -- 9/10 "Tropical Freeze isn't a heavy-hitter from Nintendo in the same way Breath of the Wild or Super Mario Odyssey are, but it's a fantastic platformer that's bursting with creativity and expertly designed challenges. It's tuned just right--always tough but rarely frustrating--to ensure that even the most common moments feel great. If you missed out when the game first debuted back in 2014, give it a shot today. It easily stands the test of time." [Read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Reviews Editor Bayonetta 2 -- 10/10 "But it's a challenge you'll want to experience again as soon as you put down the controller. Bayonetta 2's combat is so expertly constructed, and its presentation so joyously insane, that you'd have to try so very hard to get bored of it all. In a year filled with the promise of ever more elaborate experiences on all the shiny new hardware, that Bayonetta 2--a homage to classic game design and escapism--should be the most fun I've had playing a game all year is unexpected. But maybe it shouldn't have been. After all, its predecessor still stands as one of the finest games of its genre. To have surpassed that with Bayonetta 2, and to have created a game that will be remembered as an absolute classic, is nothing short of astonishing." [Read the review] -- Mark Walton Celeste -- 9/10 "It's a testament to convincing writing and ingenious design that after playing Celeste I felt like I'd been on the same journey as Madeline. Her struggle is one made easy to empathize with, her low points painful to watch, and her high notes exhilarating to experience. Her tale is delicately told and beautifully illustrated, confidently coalescing with the satisfying, empowering game it lies within. Not bad for a game about climbing a mountain." [Read the full review] -- Oscar Dayus, Staff Writer Dragon Quest Builders -- 8/10 "The excellence of Dragon Quest Builders illustrates the versatility of this 30-year-old franchise as much as it speaks to the engrossing appeal of Minecraft-inspired creation. The story-advancing draw of quests goes hand-in-hand with the depth of a crafting system that cleverly uses monster drops as some of the game's building tools. Whether you want to focus on completing assignments or build with no specific purpose, the game is feature-rich enough to suck up untold hours, even if this happens to be your first Dragon Quest experience." [Read the review] -- Miguel Concepcion, Editor The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim -- 8/10 "The original version of Skyrim is still an immense, engrossing RPG, and the quality, number, and variety of its quests makes it as easy to become lost in its world as ever. With the addition of Zelda-themed gear that's actually useful--and the fact that you can play anywhere--the Switch version of Skyrim is a great excuse to revisit a much-loved RPG." [Read the full review] -- Kallie Plagge, Associate Editor Golf Story -- 8/10 "It can take a little while for the narrative to ramp up in Golf Story and for you to feel like you've really cultivated the skills of a champion, but based on the sheer scope of what the game delivers, there's likely something for everyone to enjoy whether their shtick is mini-golfing or terrorising delinquents with frisbees. It has successfully captured the trappings of yesteryear's RPGs, and the witticisms and idiosyncrasies of the characters you encounter are a great palate cleanser between rounds. Switch has had a swathe of indies hit its eShop recently, but if you're looking for something that'll give you satisfaction in terms of an interesting story and a rewarding mechanic, then Golf Story is certainly par for the course." [Read the full review] -- Ginny Woo Gorogoa -- 8/10 "Few games take the concept of altering reality to as artistic a level as Gorogoa. This labor of love made chiefly by one developer is a gorgeous and intriguing puzzle game that works because of its stunning art and intelligent puzzle design. Far from a traditional game, Gorogoa is a slow and methodical trip into the surreal." [Read the full review] -- Jason D'Aprile Kirby Star Allies -- 8/10 "Star Allies is yet another Kirby game, but it's up there with some of the best. It's an artistic showcase, and a great opportunity for co-op platforming. The one real complaint you can levy at it is that it gates off its more challenging aspects, but the fact that they are present to begin with will please anyone who's grown weary of the series' painless platforming." [Read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Reviews Editor The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild -- 10/10 "No matter how gorgeous its environments are, how clever its enemies are, and how tricky its puzzles get, the fact that Breath of the Wild continues to surprise you with newfound rules and possibilities after dozens of hours is by far its most valuable quality. It's a game that allows you to feel gradually more and more empowered yet simultaneously manages to retain a sense of challenge and mystery--which, together, creates a steady, consistent feeling of gratification throughout the entire experience. Breath of the Wild is a defining moment for The Legend of Zelda series, and the most impressive game Nintendo has ever created." [Read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Reviews Editor Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle -- 9/10 "Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle exudes off-beat optimism that never dissolves. It's a consistent delight, no matter how challenging the road becomes, because Kingdom Battle's unique turn-based tactics system is in every way a pleasure to engage with. Coupled with the annoyingly infectious allure of Rabbids, and the always delightful, colorful world of the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle is an implausibly engrossing formula that is positively challenging and endlessly charming." [Read the full review] -- Edmond Tran, Editor Mario Kart 8 Deluxe -- 9/10 "For Mario Kart fans, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe might look like more of the same with small Double Dash-inspired tweaks. But thanks to a series of updates both big and almost unseen, it's the version of Mario Kart to get. If you don't own a Wii U or skipped out on Mario Kart 8 the first time around--or even if you've played it before--Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is worth your time. It plays beautifully on Switch in both handheld and docked mode, and its core racing is as exciting as ever. And, most notably, it completely revamps the original's lackluster Battle Mode, rounding out an already great racing game." [Read the full review] -- Kallie Plagge, Associate Editor Mr. Shifty -- 8/10 "Mr. Shifty isn't a huge game in terms of length, but the three- to four-hour campaign is ample. It's like a shot of adrenalin, offering an exciting, intense experience, and it's easy to forgive the game's performance flaws when it so consistently makes you feel like a badass." [Read the full review] -- James O'Connor NBA 2K18 -- 8/10 "NBA 2K18 is a hardcore sports simulation. If you want to get good, you have to put in the work. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to improve your skills no matter how you want to play. And the fact that there's so much to do is a bonus, because on the court, NBA 2K18 is also an amazingly well-crafted experience." [Read the full review] -- Seth Macy Night in the Woods -- 9/10 "From beginning to end to epilogue, Night in the Woods is ultimately open to individual interpretation. How you relate to it depends on your own experiences and choices, including Mae's dialogue and who you decide to spend time with. Though its charming and angsty story works well on its own merits, it's special because of how it prioritizes conveying emotion over telling a straight narrative." [Read the review] -- Kallie Plagge, Associate Editor Owlboy -- 9/10 "Owlboy is consistently charming and surprising, and when its final act doubles down on every front, it's bittersweet to see it end. As you relish the outcome of the final battle and watch the closing cutscene, you can't help but reflect on the beginning of your adventure and how far the world and its inhabitants have come. You'll never be able to play Owlboy for the first time again, but the memories of its magic moments stick with you. This is more than a treat for fans of old-school games; Owlboy is a heartfelt experience that will touch anyone with an affinity for great art and storytelling." [Read the review] -- Peter Brown, Senior Reviews Editor Pac-Man: Championship Edition 2 Plus -- 8/10 "Pac-Man: Championship Edition 2 creates an exciting dynamic where ghosts are still dangerous, but the overall game is more forgiving than the original--and it's more entertaining as a result. Arcade ports tend to be games we play in short bursts--mostly for the nostalgia factor. Pac-Man: Championship Edition 2 certainly relies on that nostalgia to a point, but it handles the classic game in a way that plays with expectations to surprise you. It's the same game enhanced in the right directions to be make an old concept fun, innovative, and challenging all over again." [Read the review] -- Jason D'Aprile Puyo Puyo Tetris -- 8/10 "Overflowing with colorful personality, Puyo Puyo Tetris revels in its weirdness. It provides solid versions of both puzzle games and merges the two in bizarre, frantic ways that adds a fresh dash of style to these long-running series. With an array of game variations spanning single-player, along with on- and offline multiplayer, it's an incredibly meaty package that should satisfy gamers for a long time to come." [Read the full review] -- Jason D'Aprile Rive -- 8/10 "Rive is demanding, but it pushes the kind of near-thoughtless play that shoot-em-ups strive to achieve. When faced with an onslaught of enemies and environmental hazards, you'll have to think fast or die. Rive also doesn't run all that long, but what's here is excellent, top-notch action, and the game delivers some of the most memorable moments in a shoot-em-up in years." [Read the full review] -- Daniel Starkey Rocket League -- 9/10 "For people new to the game, they have a lot to look forward to regardless, as it's one of the most fascinating sports games in memory. Nevermind if you don't like soccer or couldn't care less about the growing esports community. Rocket League is a unique game that redefines the concept of what a sports game can be, and Psyonix continues to support it with new content on a regular basis. It's been around for a while, but now that it's on Switch, there's no better time to give it a shot." [Read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Reviews Editor Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment -- 8/10 "Specter of Torment is a finely-crafted 2D platformer that is satisfying in all respects. Simply controlling Specter Knight--flying through the air and slicing through enemies--is a joy in itself, and being able to push your ability to control these skills in overcoming the game's cleverly-designed and challenging levels is always an exhilarating feeling. Specter of Torment is a focussed, polished, and satisfyingly challenging game that's well worth experiencing whether or not you've had the pleasure of playing Shovel Knight." [Read the full review] -- Edmond Tran, Editor Sonic Mania -- 9/10 "Sonic Mania methodically uses its sentimental appeal to great effect, but in the process, it heals the wounds inflicted by its most disappointing predecessors and surpasses the series' best with its smart and interpretive design. An excellent 2D platformer, Sonic Mania goes beyond expectations, managing to be not only a proper evolution of the series' iconic formula, but the best Sonic game ever made." [Read the full review] -- Matt Espineli, Associate Editor Splatoon 2 -- 8/10 "At first glance, Splatoon 2 seems very similar to the first game. But all the small changes, and even the bigger ones in single player and League Battles, make for a fresh take on the already unique shooter. If you played a lot of the original, the sequel has enough to keep you coming back, and if you're new to the game, it's a fantastic place to jump in." [Read the full review] -- Kallie Plagge, Associate Editor Stardew Valley -- 9/10 "The sheer number of things to accomplish in Stardew Valley can keep you interested beyond the original three in-game years you need to reach the end of your story--you may just want to start over rather than continue on. You'll work quite hard to gather enough money for your first horse, so that you can quickly move to the mines to get a mineral to complete a bundle at the community center. It's all centered around whatever it is you want to accomplish that day. And that's truly what makes Stardew Valley such a lovely experience, it encourages you to go out and be the best you can be, in whichever task that brings you the most joy. Stardew Valley motivates naturally, with blissful optimism." [Read the full review] -- Mary Kish SteamWorld Dig 2 -- 9/10 "Every advancement Dig 2 makes to its story and mechanics strengthens your initiative to progress. There's an overwhelming sense of momentum that runs through the adventure; as if developer Image & Form sifted the original in a pan, removing its redundancies while expanding upon what made it so fun to persistently play. In your quest to acquire every upgrade and explore every nook and cranny, there's no shortage of hidden collectables to discover. And with post-game content that unlocks after you unearth every secret, the desire to keep digging intensifies. Dig 2 manages to not only be an exceptional successor, but a great adventure in its own right. Where the first game was a diamond in the rough, Dig 2 is a polished jewel." [Read the full review] -- Matt Espineli, Associate Editor Super Mario Odyssey -- 10/10 "Odyssey is sustained beyond its major milestones not only through colorful worlds and hidden challenges, but through the sheer joy of controlling Mario, who's never felt more responsive or dynamic in action. Even with everything new that's been introduced, Nintendo's forward-thinking platformer retains the series' classic handcrafted appeal, which is even more impressive when you realize how densely packed each kingdom is. Mario's latest outing is big, bold, and bursting with new ideas, and like Breath of the Wild, is another instance of Nintendo going above and beyond to redefine our expectations. It's a shining example of refined creativity, and another crown jewel for Switch that is without equal." [Read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Reviews Editor Best Steam Summer Sale 2018 Games That Cost $20 Or Less By Matt Espineli on Jun 29, 2018 08:32 pm Valve recently launched its latest annual Steam annual summer sale, which is still going on. 2018's edition is the Steam Intergalactic Summer Sale, and it brings the requisite discounts on countless games. Among the library of titles on sale are some of gaming's most critically acclaimed big-budget games, along with a lot of terrific indie games. There are so many things on sale to consider picking up--more than 10,000 in fact--that it can be downright overwhelming to browse Steam's store. Rather than have to wade through countless pages or rack your brain for the games you forgot you wanted to buy, we've rounded up a selection of worthwhile games that you should consider buying before the sale ends. And to be more considerate of your wallet (or not), we've provided recommendations that fall at or under $20. We've asked GameSpot's staff for their favorite deals, and we've come up with a diverse selection of games across multiple genres. The Steam Intergalactic Summer Sale, like recent sales on the platform, is relatively straightforward. No longer are there any daily and flash deals, as well as voting; an aspect that many found exciting, but was ultimately difficult to follow and unkind to personal bank accounts. The new shift does make shopping easier, as you can now purchase a game without the worry of it becoming heavily discounted at the latter end of the sale. This sale does feature one fascinating new feature, which is where the "intergalactic" aspect in its name comes in. Steam's homepage allows you to jump into what's called the Summer Saliens game. It's a browser mini-game where you travel to planets and save various games that have been abducted by aliens. You'll earn XP and unlock new abilities. It may be simplistic, but you should still check it out, as doing so can earn you the much sought after Steam trading cards (if you're into that). In addition, defending certain planets enters you to win a corresponding game for free, with your odds increasing as your Salien stays on the same planet for longer. The Steam Summer Sale runs from now until July 5, so be sure to purchase the games you want sooner than later. And there's even a variety of anime on sale too. If these deals aren't enough and you want even cheaper deals, check out our recommendations for Steam sale games under $5. Be sure to let us know your picks for worthwhile deals, as well as what you plan to pick up, in the comments below. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver | $0.97 / £0.74 (86% off) Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver is a long-forgotten gem from the PS1 era, which was also made available on PC. An early example of a 3D metroidvania done right, the game won my young heart with its haunting gothic style, clever combat mechanics, and distinct premise. I'll always remember the impact the game's intro cinematic and opening areas had on me. Its grim narrative and intriguing characters are some of the most memorable I've experienced in gaming. The game puts you in control of Raziel, a vampire lieutenant turned soul-sucking wraith after being betrayed by the tyrannical vampire lord Kain. Brought back to life by a mysterious benefactor known as The Elder God, Raziel must embark on a journey to exact vengeance against his former king. Soul Reaver's world of Nosgoth, a desolate and broken kingdom populated by all manner of mutated vampires, remains haunting and atmospheric. The vampire weakness-focused combat is still a creative and entertaining system to dispatch foes. In addition, the game is rich with fascinating locations to explore and secrets to unearth. Soul Reaver is well worth your time, and at as cheap as it is right now, you have no excuse not to own it in your Steam library. If my ramblings are enough to compel you, the game's various sequels are also on sale, which you can purchase piecemeal for incredibly cheap (minus Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain). Do it and become the soul-sucking wraith you were always destined to become. -- Matt Espineli, Associate Editor Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver on Steam DMC: Devil May Cry | $7.49 / £5.74 (75% off) Devil May Cry fans often give DMC: Devil May Cry a bad rap. In the lead up to its release, many found its drastic shift in art direction disagreeable. And when it released, some found its mechanics less nuanced and complex than that of its predecessors. But after playing through it myself, I could never fully get behind this sentiment. As a massive fan of the franchise, I found DmC: Devil May Cry's high-flying combat exhilarating despite not being as precise. Its mechanics fueled by the addition of Angel Mode and Devil Mode opened up Dante's offensive possibilities, which kept me constantly engaged in experimenting and refining my technique. And the game's story--while nowhere nears it strongest suit--made for an entertaining new take on the series' classic mythos. Whether you like it or not, DmC: Devil May Cry still manages to be a worthwhile entry in the tenured action game franchise. It may have taken risks that didn't fully pay off in the end, but what's on display is a fantastic action game well deserving of the Devil May Cry name. And at just below $10/£10, you should absolutely give it a shot, or even a second chance. -- Matt Espineli, Associate Editor DMC: Devil May Cry on Steam Agents of Mayhem - Total Mayhem Bundle | $16.05 / £13.21 (72% off) Agents of Mayhem takes Saint Row IV's pure insanity and cranks it up to 11. Canonically taking place after the Gat Out of Hell "recreate earth" ending, Agents of Mayhem is a story of bad vs. evil. I loved the diverse range of personalities, races, and sexualities that compose the lovable rogues that make up MAYHEM, an organization set on destroying the evil terrorist group known as LEGION. My favorite agent is Daisy, an ex-roller derby girl with a knack for cussing, drinking, having sex, and handling heavy weaponry, but I also loved the the queer logistics officer Friday, storytelling ninja Scheherazade, and loud-mouthed Safeword (who's this universe's version of Saint Row's Kinzie Kensington). -- Jordan Ramee, Associate Editor Agents of Mayhem on Steam Cities: Skylines | $7.49 / £5.74 (75% off) Where EA's SimCity (2013) dropped the ball, Cities: Skylines picked it up, and it ran. It ran far, wide, and it's never stopped, even to this day. The city builder has positively delivered everything that anyone has ever wanted out of this kind of game, and has seen a steady stream of expansions over the past three years. But even if you're just interested in trying the vanilla experience during this Steam sale, Cities: Skyline's incredibly accessible modding options, and its amazing community will give you more than enough content to gorge on. There's a lot of joy to be had in city building and management games, and Cities: Skylines is the definitive game in the genre. -- Edmond Tran, AU Editor / Senior Video Producer Cities: Skylines on Steam Dark Souls III | $14.99 / £9.99 (75% off) If the recent release of Dark Souls: Remastered hasn't gotten you to try out From Software and Hidetaka Miyazaki's fantastic Souls series, maybe the heavily discounted Dark Souls III will. Dark Souls III takes the dilapidated world of the Souls games and adds new lands to discover, a quicker pace to the combat, and plenty of upgrades to the multiplayer, all while maintaining the strong world and level design that has made the series stand out so much. While I don't personally find the game to be as strong of an entry into the series as Dark Souls or Bloodborne, I could not put this game down when I first picked it up. For players looking for a rewarding game with challenge, I could not recommend the game more. -- Dave Klein, Video Producer Dark Souls III on Steam Dead Cells | $11.99 / £10.19 (40% off) Dead Cells takes the DNA of Dark Souls, Castlevania, and a heavy dose of roguelike to create something that's more than the sum of its parts. This addictive and thrilling side-scrolling adventure boasts a bevy of tense moments, challenging bosses, and satisfying combat. The core of the game is based on growing with each run, as every failure brings new lessons to learn, items to unlock, and points to take with you into the next life. With a huge array of weapons, skills and playstyles, Dead Cells is a game that epitomises the "one more try" style of play. After your first few deaths, you'll be hooked and hungry for success. -- Dave Jewitt, Video Producer Dead Cells on Steam Doom (2016) | $15 / £9.99 (50% off) If you haven't played 2016's Doom reboot yet, now's a good time--publisher Bethesda announced a sequel, Doom Eternal, at E3 this year. This new Doom is self-aware in its intensity, with its high-octane demon-slaying madness backed by an over-the-top metal score. It's both a return and an homage to the corridor shooting of the series' past, but modern touches also make it feel like a step forward for the series. As a bonus, the classic Doom levels hidden in each mission are both fun to find and provide the perfect amount of nostalgia. -- Kallie Plagge, Associate Editor Doom on Steam Everspace | $9.89 / £7.58 (67% off) I'm usually not a huge fan of roguelike games, but something about Everspace just kept dragging me back for more. Stressing over every jump between sectors, while trying to simultaneously circumnavigate challenging fights and monitor my fuel cost, kept me constantly on edge. The mindless humdrum of outfitting a new vessel would quickly replace every frustrating death, and I'd promise myself I'd get a little bit further on my next excursion. I enjoyed solving the overarching mystery in the main storyline, but Everspace's tight controls and hectic dogfights were what drew me into its quiet beauty. -- Jordan Ramee, Associate Editor Everspace on Steam Forgotton Anne | $14.99 / £11.61 (25% off) About 15 minutes into Forgotton Anne, I was curled up on the couch and weeping, after mistakenly profiling an illegal immigrant as a terrorist and getting him killed. Forgotton Anne never gave me a chance to catch my breath, though, and continued to dole out emotional punches. This adventure-platformer threw me into a role I've never played before: an officer who enforces border control. Anne must squash a rebellion that threatens her and that of her master, and the player chooses whether or not she goes about that task with any mercy. I'll admit, I was fooled by the pretty Studio Ghibli-style art into thinking this would be a game for kids. I was so wrong. -- Jordan Ramee, Associate Editor Forgotton Anne on Steam Grand Theft Auto V | $19.79 / £13.19 (67% off) There's a good chance that, by now, you're one of the incredible number of people who have bought Grand Theft Auto V. If not, this is as cheap as it's ever been, making it easier to buy a copy for you and a few friends. And you'll want to play with friends, because there aren't many games like GTA Online and its heists. These multi-part missions that have you working in tandem with friends (or strangers, if you're less fortunate) are among the most fun I've ever had with a multiplayer game. Dodging a military jet in your biplane until you can pick up your friends who are breaking someone out of prison makes for an unforgettable, tense experience. GTA 5's single-player remains enjoyable, and buying it on PC gives you access to mods, but this is well worth the price of entry for GTA Online alone. -- Chris Pereira, News Editor GTA V on Steam Iconoclasts | $16.99 / £14.86 (15% off) An iconoclast is a person who destroys a religious image or symbol, and that's the exact role you take on in this indie Metroidvania title. I didn't find Iconoclasts' puzzles or platforming segments to be all that challenging, but the game makes up for these faults with dozens of intense boss battles, a wonderful cast of characters, and a nuanced narrative. It's been a while since a video game's story really made me stop and think about the consequences of my in-game actions, and whether I was playing the role of the hero or the villian. Despite the protagonist's silence, Robin also makes for a fantastic hero, whose adorable emotes and expressive poses convey her helpful yet naive nature. -- Jordan Ramee, Associate Editor Iconoclasts on Steam Into the Breach | $11.99 / £9.11 (20% off) From the creators of FTL comes hands down, one of 2018's best games. Into the Breach is tactical strategy boiled down to its purest elements, with completely transparent mechanics that let you know exactly what the enemy is going to do next, and what effect your hypothetical actions will have before you make them. This alone makes every single turn a satisfying brain-churn that has you poring over all the game's exciting and multi-faceted cause-and-effect systems. With dozens of unique mechs, it's a sincere joy to experiment and replay Into the Breach again and again and again. -- Edmond Tran, AU Editor / Senior Video Producer Into the Breach on Steam Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition | $9.99 / £7.49 (50% off) When pressed for time and trying to explain what makes Ori and the Blind Forest so special, I tell people that it's a Meat Boy-Metroidvania--intense platforming balanced against exploration and wonder. It gets the point across, but the reality is that it's so much more than that. The gorgeous art style and animation mix with fine-tuned controls that make the whole experience feel smooth as silk. The fable-like story is a resonant one about empathy and love. It's one of the best games to have come out in the last few years, and absolutely deserves more attention before the sequel arrives in 2019. -- Steve Watts, News Writer Ori and the Blind Forest on Steam Papers, Please | $4.99 / £3.49 (50% off) I sincerely hope you're skipping this entry because you've already played and finished this game, because Papers, Please is one of my favourite games of all time. It's a modern classic where premise and mechanics marry together beautifully with difficult moral choices, strict consequences, and an unavoidable imperative for self-gain. You play an immigration inspector on a politically tumultuous Eastern European border, charged with inspecting and cross-referencing documents, controlling the flow of people, and correcting following protocol above all else. Hidden amongst civilians are spies and terrorists, but also sympathetic stories of innocent people caught by the riptides of war, trying to hang on to a semblance of life. Where does your loyalty lie: To the job that's keeping your family fed, to the greater good, yourself, or potentially, something else? How far are you willing to push your moral compass? Paper, Please is a masterpiece through and through, and it makes stamping passports feel like the most satisfying feeling in the whole world. -- Edmond Tran, AU Editor / Senior Video Producer Papers, Please on Steam Prey | $15 / £9.99 (50% off) Prey is arguably one of the most underappreciated and overlooked games of 2017. It captures so much of what I love about immersive sims, particularly in its environmental storytelling--emails, notes, and other personal items weave the stories of who was on the space station before everything went wrong, and piecing things together takes careful attention to detail. Each part of the station also presents you with multiple ways to solve a problem, be it getting past an enemy Typhon or getting into a locked room, and all those things combined make traversal and exploration rewarding. The new DLC is just one more reason to pick Prey up while it's on sale. -- Kallie Plagge, Associate Editor Prey on Steam Stardew Valley | $12 / £8.79 (20% off) I've put around 300 hours into Stardew Valley between the PC and Nintendo Switch versions, and it's become one of my favorite games I've ever played. I'm a big proponent of the Switch version now, but if you don't have one or prefer playing on PC, now's your best chance to try it out. Stardew Valley is everything I ever wanted Harvest Moon games to be, and it's made even better by its complex characters and surprisingly heavy themes. I don't want to spoil anything, but this is a game where you get out what you put into it--and there's a lot to discover. -- Kallie Plagge, Associate Editor Stardew Valley on Steam SteamWorld Dig 2 | $13.39 / £10.04 (33% off) On its face, a game like SteamWorld Dig shouldn't have worked, much less warranted a sequel. A modern-day rogue-like Dig Dug, SteamWorld Dig carried an oddly relaxing gameplay loop: burrow your way underground, find some loot, come back up and spend it on upgrades, repeat. Its sequel, SteamWorld Dig 2, improves on the predecessor in every way, offering better upgrades, more character customization options, and challenge rooms for the truly enterprising spelunker. Sometimes you just want more of a great thing. -- Steve Watts, News Writer SteamWorld Dig 2 on Steam Stellaris | $15.99 / £13.99 (60% off) The masters of grand historical strategy, Paradox Interactive, released their ambitious spacefaring 4X game Stellaris a couple of years ago, but if you haven't played it yet, you're definitely better off coming into it now. As is typical, the Swedish developer has improved the game significantly with free updates and meaningful expansions over time and addressed many concerns. Beginning with a single planet, you'll expand your empire, discover new galaxies, inhabit new worlds, meet new alien races, and see where your interactions with them may lead. Stellaris is certainly a complex 4X game, but like other Paradox titles, once you begin to internalise it, gain momentum, and appreciate the myriad nuances to its systems, you'll probably never think about playing anything else for a good, long while. -- Edmond Tran, AU Editor / Senior Video Producer Stellaris on Steam Valkyria Chronicles | $5.94 / £5.09 (66% off) I hope no PC devotees out there will get upset when I say that one of the most innovative tactical strategy games of the past decade was born as a console game, and is anime as hell. Valkyria Chronicles puts some strange twists on its alternate version of World War II, but that doesn't deny the fact that its battle system is unique and fun. You plan and order troops in a turn-based fashion with a top-down strategy phase, but then need to personally move an ordered troop or vehicle in a real-time third-person mode and line up their shots. It may sound arduous, but it's incredibly satisfying and exciting to actually do. Its beautiful watercolour art direction has aged very well, and with Valkyria Chronicles 4 coming out on PC and consoles later this year, you might as well see what the fuss is all about. -- Edmond Tran, AU Editor / Senior Video Producer Valkyria Chronicles on Steam Vanquish | $6.79 / £5.09 (66% off) If you're a fan of over-the-top action games and you haven't played Vanquish, then you haven't lived. Directed by Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami, the magnum opus of PlatinumGames' resume contains incredibly fast-paced shooting with an emphasis on movement. Equipped with a high-tech battle-suit with jet-boosters, you'll charge head-first through bullet-hell scenarios, gunning down robotic foes as you constantly dodge, vault, slow-down time, and famously, butt-slide at great speed. It's one of the most invigorating actions games of the past decade, and it has a dedicated command to smoke a cigarette. You owe it to yourself to play Vanquish. -- Edmond Tran, AU Editor / Senior Video Producer Vanquish on Steam The Witcher 3: Game of the Year Edition | $19.99 / £13.99 (60% off) If you ask me (and many others who have played this remarkable action RPG), The Witcher 3 is the best game of this generation. It's huge, gorgeous, well-written, mature, and exceedingly fun to play. The dark fantasy world it's set in is perfectly rendered and unlike any other you'll find in all of games. Despite its sense of finality, here's hoping it's not the last game we'll get to play in this world, with these characters. It's a great ride. -- Chris Reed, Commerce Editor The Witcher 3: Complete Edition on Steam Biggest Xbox One Games Coming In 2019 And Beyond: Gears 5, Anthem, And More By Chris Pereira on Jun 29, 2018 05:26 am All The Games There are plenty of new and exciting games to play on Xbox One this year, but what about next year? In this feature we're rounding up all the Xbox One games that are launching next year or later. At a glance, these include titles like BioWare's multiplayer shooter Anthem, Rage 2 from Bethesda, Ubisoft's ambitious pirate game Skull & Bones, and the gorgeous-looking platformer sequel Ori and the Will of the Wisps. The Xbox and PC exclusive Crackdown 3 was supposed to launch in 2018, but was recently pushed to 2019. While not absolutely confirmed, we're expecting CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077 to also come out next year or potentially later. Below you can find a full list of the games. Otherwise, you can click through this feature to see a full roundup of all the games that are coming next year or later. Xbox One Games Releasing in 2019 And Beyond Battletoads Sea of Solitude Crackdown 3 Cyberpunk 2077 Gears 5 Doom Eternal Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Metro Exodus Ori And the Will of the Wisps Beyond Good & Evil 2 Dying Light 2 Anthem Tom Clancy's The Division 2 Gears Tactics Session Kingdom Hearts III Sea of Solitude Control Dead or Alive 6 Wolfenstein: Young Blood Babylon's Fall Skull & Bones The Quiet Man Rage 2 Twin Mirror Starfield The Elder Scrolls VI Devil May Cry 5 Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order Waiting is tough, but games like these are massive endeavors that take time. Also, there are plenty of games big and small due out this year, including Red Dead Redemption 2, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, Battlefield V, and many, many more. In the meantime, which Xbox One games are you looking forward to the most? Let us know in the comments below. Anthem Anthem is easily BioWare's most ambitious title. Focusing on the exploits of heavily armored freelancers on a hostile alien planet, you'll work together with other players online to take on dangerous missions while exploring the furthest reaches of the world. While this sounds a lot like Destiny, BioWare's approach to the concept of the shared-world shooter looks like an interesting change of pace from other games of the genre, and we can't wait to see more. Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One | Release Date: February 22 Crackdown 3 Crackdown 3 is one of Microsoft's biggest upcoming Xbox One exclusives. The game utilizes cloud-based server technology for its multiplayer mode, which allows for environmental destruction on a large scale. It retains the gameplay of its predecessors, featuring a number of different organizations controlling the city of New Providence that you'll need to take down by killing their kingpins, destroying their bases, and destabilizing their infrastructures. Platforms: Xbox One, PC | Release Date: February 2019 Cyberpunk 2077 The next game from the creators of The Witcher, Cyberpunk 2077, is set in a dystopian, sci-fi future world. It appears more bright and vibrant than the initial tease a few years back. It appears to take place in a dazzling city of dreams, a metropolis of giant buildings adorned with dazzling screens, where organic skin is meshed with futuristic tech. Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC (Expected) | Release Date: TBA Dead or Alive 6 Kasumi, Hayate, Helena, and plenty of other familiar faces return to the arena in Dead or Alive 6. This fighting game will continue to utilize the franchise's staple complexity when it comes to combos and counters, while upping the realism of its visuals. Two new mechanics, Fatal Rush and Break Gauge, shake up the combat by introducing an easier way for beginners to compete. Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC | Release Date: Early 2019 Ori and the Will of the Wisps Xbox One console exclusive Ori and the Blind Forest was a critical hit when it launched in 2015, and now developer Moon Studios is back with a sequel. Ori and the Will of the Wisps builds on the first game's ingenious platforming and compelling story, and we can't wait to see more. Platforms: Xbox One, PC | Release Date: 2019 Rage 2 Rage 2 is perhaps the most unlikely sequel to come out of E3 this year, but with id Software bringing Avalanche Studios along for the ride there's plenty of reason to be excited about its potential. Avalanche has years of experience crafting large and chaotic worlds in games like Mad Max and Just Cause, with vehicle combat and special effects chief among their notable talents. Id, of course, is the studio that pioneered first-person shooting and continues to deliver hard-hitting games like 2016's Doom. It could be a match made in heaven, but we won't know until Rage 2 ships. Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC | Release Date: 2019 Sea of Solitude Sea of Solitude is an upcoming EA Originals game about a lonely girl whose emotions manage to turn her into a monster and her surroundings into a flooded post-apocalyptic world. She must explore in order to find a way to turn back into a human. Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC (Expected) | Release Date: TBA Skull & Bones Skull & Bones sets sail in the Indian Ocean, setting you on a quest to become a pirate of the ages. The game will feature single- and multiplayer options and is centered around naval warfare. Platforms: Xbox One, PS4, PC | Release Date: 2019 Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order is the upcoming Star Wars game created by Respawn Entertainment, the studio behind the well-received Titanfall 2. Jedi Fallen Hunt takes place between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope when the galaxy was at its darkest. Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC (Expected) | Release Date: Holiday 2019 Twin Mirror Dontnod Entertainment is partnering with Bandai Namco to create Twin Mirror, a new psychological thriller. Based on the E3 2018 trailer, the story focuses on a character named Sam who wakes up one day to discover a shocking amount of blood on his clothing and no memory as to the cause. As Sam attempts to piece together the events from the night before, he will explore both the real world and surreal manifestations of his own psyche. Twin Mirror looks intriguing so far, but being one big mystery, we'll have to wait until we see more of the game to get a grasp of how we ultimately fit into Sam's harrowing investigation. Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC | Release Date: 2019 Battletoads A brand-new Battletoads game has been announced. No gameplay was shown, but we did learn that it will have three-player couch co-op and 2.5D graphics. In addition, the art in the game appeared hand-drawn--at least according to the announcement trailer. Platforms: Xbox One, PC (Expected) | Release Date: 2019 Control Control is the latest game by Remedy Entertainment, the studio behind Alan Wake and Quantum Break. The debut trailer showcased a strangely shifting world, with a protagonist who can fly and control objects using telekinesis. Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC | Release Date: 2019 Devil May Cry 5 After years of waiting, we're finally getting a brand new Devil May Cry game. And in a rather surprising twist, it's a direct continuation to Devil May Cry 4. The debut trailer mainly focused on returning protagonist Nero, who appears to be accompanied by an unnamed woman. However, the last few seconds indicated that Dante will return too. Platforms: Xbox One, PC | Release Date: Spring 2019 Doom Eternal Doom Eternal is the upcoming sequel to the critically-acclaimed Doom reboot from 2016. The game takes everything that the previous game did and pushes it forward: the Doomslayer is more powerful than before, the number of enemies have doubled, and it takes place on Earth. Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC (Expected) | Release Date: TBA Dying Light 2 In the sequel to the first-person apocalyptic survival shooter, players will have plenty more chances to practice their sweet parkour while killing zombies. However, this time around, player's choices will have real effects on the world and push the story down different paths. Platforms: Xbox One, PS4, PC | Release Date: TBA The Elder Scrolls VI Bethesda finally announced the next game in the Elder Scrolls series: The Elder Scrolls VI. No other details about the game were provided at E3 outside of a short teaser. It shows a mountainous region and some fog accompanied by a version of the iconic Dovahkiin music. A setting wasn't specified, although fans are sure to do some sleuthing to narrow down the list of possibilities. Hopefully, we'll get more details sooner than later. Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC (Expected) | Release Date: TBA Gears 5 Gears of War returns with its fifth entry. This time around you play as Kait, who originally appeared in Gears of War 4. Gears 5 sees Kait embark on a journey to discover the truth behind the visions plaguing her mind--most likely an effect of the Locust necklace she inherited from her grandmother. Platforms: Xbox One, PC | Release Date: 2019 Kingdom Hearts III We've gotten sneak peeks at some of the worlds and characters that Kingdom Hearts III will contain, including Hercules, Monsters Inc., and Toy Story. We're not sure exactly where the story will specifically take Sora and friends, but we do know it is the direct sequel to Kingdom Hearts II and an end to the saga. Platforms: Xbox One, PS4 | Release Date: January 29, 2019 Metro Exodus Metro Exodus puts players back in control of Artyom. Even though Artyom will be venturing above ground this time, there will still be plenty of mutated creatures to gun down and unsettling environments to explore. Platforms: Xbox One, PS4, PC | Release Date: February 22, 2019 The Quiet Man The Quiet Man is a brand-new game where you play as a silent protagonist who appears to be deaf. The brief trailers show him getting into a fight and quickly dispatching two hooligans in an alleyway. As the title implies, the game's mechanics will likely involve silence and sound in some manner. According to Square Enix, more information concerning The Quiet Man will be revealed in August. Platforms: PS4, PC | Release Date: TBA The Division 2 Ubisoft Massive's The Division 2 continues its predecessor's open-world and shooter mechanics, and looks to build upon that foundation. This time around, Division agents fight in Washington D.C. and attempt to reclaim the capital. Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One | Release Date: March 18, 2019 Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is the long-awaited new game from acclaimed studio, From Software. It appears to be expanding upon the classic Dark Souls formula by introducing stealth-action elements and more acrobatic maneuvers. Platforms: Xbox One, PC (Expected) | Release Date: Early 2019 Session Session is a brand-new skateboarding simulation game, which was kickstarted early last year. Not much else was shown about the game, but it's at least great to hear that the skateboarding video game genre isn't dead. Platforms: Xbox One | Release Date: 2019 Starfield For the first time in 25 years, Bethesda is creating a new IP. We don't know much about Starfield. However, based on the game's title and brief teaser trailer, it's probably safe to say that this RPG will take place in space. Platforms: The next generation of consoles, PC (Expected) | Release Date: TBA Wolfenstein Youngblood Wolfenstein Youngblood is set in an alternate 1980s Paris and follows the events of Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. It stars series protagonist BJ Blazkowicz's twin daughters, who are working together to continue the fight against the Nazis. The game can be played solo or co-op. Platforms: Xbox One, PS4, PC, Nintendo Switch (Expected) | Release Date: 2019 Biggest Nintendo Switch Exclusives Of 2018: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Mario Tennis Aces By Jordan Ramée on Jun 29, 2018 05:16 am Nintendo's Newest In 2017, Nintendo soared back into the limelight with the Switch--the fastest selling console in US history. Incredible exclusives like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey proved Nintendo still remembered the strengths of its franchises and the importance of taking risks. For an overview of all the Switch games we reviewed last year, head over to our Switch review page. Already, Nintendo is using 2018 to build upon the company's successes and produce more fantastic-looking follow-ups to fan-favorite franchises, like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Kirby Star Allies. A number of new IPs, like Octopath Traveler, round out Switch's library of exclusives for 2018 library. You won't find these titles anywhere else. There are tons of exciting exclusives for Switch this year. Below is a full list of the biggest ones, and for more information on each game, click through to the slides ahead to find out what each game is and its release date. Nintendo Switch Console Exclusive Games In 2018 Nintendo Labo Runner3 Bayonetta and Bayonetta 2 Octopath Traveler Light Fingers Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition Monster Hunter Ultimate Generations Kirby Star Allies Pokemon: Let's Go Pikachu! / Let's Go Eevee! Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker Pokemon Quest Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes Code of Princess Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze Super Mario Party Dragon Marked for Death The World Ends With You - Final Remix Mario Tennis Aces We've compiled every one we know of so far here, and will continue to update this gallery with new games as they get announced. Be sure to check back often as we update this gallery with more exclusives. And if you're curious about other platforms, you can check out our features on PS4 exclusives, Xbox One exclusives, and PC exclusives. In the meantime, which exclusives are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comments below. Bayonetta and Bayonetta 2 When Nintendo revealed Bayonetta 3 at The Game Awards, the company also confirmed a popular rumor: Bayonetta 2 and the original Bayonetta were on their way to Switch. The sequel headlines the physical packaging of the game, but every copy of Bayonetta 2 includes a download code for the original. We gave the original Bayonetta an 8/10. Check out our Bayonetta review. We loved the follow-up even more, giving it a perfect 10/10. Check out our Bayonetta 2 review. Developer: PlatinumGames | Release Date: February 16 Kirby Star Allies Kirby made his debut on Switch in Kirby Star Allies. This title provides a multiplayer twist on traditional Kirby action, allowing four players to party up and tackle platforming stages and boss battles together. Like Kirby, his allies use powers absorbed from lesser enemies. We gave the game an 8/10. Check out our Kirby Star Allies review. Developer: HAL Laboratory | Release Date: March 16 Nintendo Labo Nintendo Labo is a series of kits that include cardboard cut-outs and other materials that are assembled in combination with the Switch and its Joy-Cons to be played with special game software and vice versa. The series' first two kits--the Variety Kit and the Robot Kit--released in April. We gave the Nintendo Labo and its first two kits a 7/10. Check out our Nintendo Labo review. Developer: Nintendo | Release Date: April 20 Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze Continuing the tradition of updated Wii U games that get Switch ports like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Pokken Tournament DX, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze launched on Switch in May. The game adds a new playable character, Funky Kong, who introduces his own unique twist on the original's platforming gameplay. We gave the game a 9/10. Read our Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze review. Developer: Retro Studios, Monster Games | Release Date: May 4 Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition The revamped version of Hyrule Warriors comes to Switch with all of the maps, missions, characters, and DLC from both the original Wii U release and the expanded 3DS version. Even Yuga and Ravio from A Link Between Worlds joined this Dynasty Warriors-style game. Both Link and Zelda get new Breath of the Wild-themed costumes as well. We gave the game an 8/10. Check out our Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition review. Developer: Omega Force | Release Date: May 18 Runner3 The Bit.Trip games from developer Choice Provisions rank among some of the best throwback experiences of the past decade. Nintendo Switch owners have exclusive access to the series' newest game, Runner3, which continues the tradition of linking rhythmic timing and platforming, while also promising plenty of new tricks to stump returning players. We gave the game a 7/10. Read our Runner3 review. Developer: Choice Provisions | Release Date: May 22 Pokemon Quest The original 151 Pokedex returns in Pokemon Quest, a free-to-play spin-off to Nintendo's popular pocket monster franchise. The game differentiates itself with its blocky art-style. Gameplay for Quest is separated into four parts: catching Pokemon, training your team, managing your base camp, and adventuring into the unknown in story missions. Watch some gameplay. Developer: Game Freak | Release Date: May 30 Mario Tennis Aces Mario Tennis Aces from developer Camelot--the team behind the GBA game Golden Sun as well as numerous other Mario sports titles--launched on Switch this past spring. Mario's newest run at tennis includes a challenging story, three tournaments, and new special abilities. Our review of the game is still in progress, but we're currently giving it an 8/10. Check out our Mario Tennis Aces review. Developer: Camelot | Release Date: June 22 Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker The incredibly adorable puzzler, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is finally coming to Switch. It includes an added Super Mario Odyssey-themed level modeled after that game's New Donk City location. You can also play with a friend--each using one joy-con--where one controls Toad and the other can shoot turnips to attack enemies. We gave the Wii U version of the game an 8/10. Check out our Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker review. Developer: Nintendo | Release Date: July 13 Octopath Traveler Square Enix and developer Acquire are in the home stretch of development on Octopath Traveler, a retro RPG that mixes 2D and 3D graphics in an effort to bridge the gap between 16-bit and HD. A second demo for the game is currently available if you can't quite wait until July to play. We got an extended look at Octopath Traveller's gameplay during a live E3 2018 demo. Developer: Square Enix, Acquire | Release Date: July 13 Code Of Princess EX Originally for 3DS, Code of Princess is coming to Nintendo Switch in July. This hack and slash game features a few RPG elements you can explore with its cast of over 50 playable characters. There are two multiplayer modes as well: co-op missions and a Versus mode. Back in 2012, we gave the 3DS version of the game a 7/10. Read our Code of Princess review. Developer: Studio Saizensen | Release Date: July 31 Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate Monster Hunter Generations new HD port is already available on Switch in Japan, and it comes to the rest of the world later this year. With no sign of Monster Hunter: World coming to Switch, Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate will have to satisfy your need for a new hunting experience on the go. We gave the original game a 7/10. Read our Monster Hunter Generations review. Developer: Capcom | Release Date: August 28 Super Mario Party Super Mario Party marks the 11th time Mario and his friends have gotten together to beat each other up, steal from one another, and willingly participate in a diverse assortment of tiny death traps. Or as they like to call it: a party. Like the Mario Party titles that released for Wii and Wii U, Super Mario Party will feature mini games and challenges that utilize both traditional button controls and motion controls. Developer: Nd Cube | Release Date: October 5 Pokemon: Let's Go, Pikachu! / Let's Go, Eevee! Pokemon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokemon: Let's Go, Eevee! are the first Pokemon RPGs to come to Switch. The two titles take gameplay inspiration from Pokemon Yellow and Pokemon GO. Choose whether you want to be followed by an adorable Pikachu or lovable Eevee and then start your quest to catch 'em all! Developer: Game Freak | Release Date: November 16 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Super Smash Bros. is finally coming to Nintendo Switch, and you won't have to wait all that long for it: it's coming this holiday season. Every fighter from every previous Smash Bros. game is coming to duke it out in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and a few newcomers like Daisy, Ridley, and Inkling are joining them. Watch Ridley's creepy reveal trailer. Developer: Nintendo | Release Date: December 7 Light Fingers Light Fingers is a turn-based multiplayer board game where your goal is to gather loot and progress across the board, all while your opponents play cards and manipulate mechanical obstacles in an effort to trip you up. The game is coming to Switch sometime this year. Developer: Numizmatic | Release Date: TBA 2018 Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes The third game in the No More Heroes series from infamous developer, Goichi "SUDA 51" Suda, is scheduled to land on Switch later this year. Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes is a revenge tale against frontman Travis, who finds himself confronted by Badman, father of Travis' first assassination target, Bad Girl. Before they get into a scuffle, both characters are drawn into a video game system. From within, they will have to confront a handful of fictional video games, supposedly inspired by real-world hits like Hotline Miami. Check out some gameplay. Developer: Grasshopper Manufacture | Release Date: TBA 2018 Dragon Marked For Death The latest game from the team behind Mega Man Zero, Mega Man 9, Mega Man 10, and Azure Striker Gunvolt is coming exclusively to Switch this year. Dragon Marked for Death looks like another action-packed 2D side-scroller with intricate sprites, but Inti Creates is experimenting by adding in four-player local co-op and progression systems that give the game an action-RPG feel. Developer: Inti Creates | Release Date: TBA 2018 The World Ends With You - Final Remix The hi-res version of Square Enix's The World Ends with You is coming to Switch, along with a "sizable" new story scenario. This anime-inspired game is set in modern day Tokyo and created by the same team behind Kingdom Hearts III. The Final Remix version was announced during January's Nintendo Direct Mini, and is due sometime this year. When we reviewed the original game on DS, we gave it a 9/10. Read our The World Ends with You review. Developer: Square Enix | Release Date: TBA 2018 The Biggest PS4 Exclusive Games To Play In 2018: Spider-Man, God Of War, And More By Peter Brown on Jun 29, 2018 04:57 am Only on PlayStation 4 Last year was an amazing year to be a PlayStation 4 owner. On top of an well-rounded selection of multi-platform games like Prey, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, and What Remains of Edith Finch, you also had access to fantastic exclusives like Persona 5, Gravity Rush 2, Nioh, and Horizon: Zero Dawn. And for those with any interest in virtual reality, the release of PlayStation VR was the icing on the cake. 2018 has been a pretty good follow-up so far. Iconoclasts and God of War are just two of a number of new exclusives. The PS4's library has some excellent new multi-platform games as well, such as Celeste and Monster Hunter: World. Looking ahead, there are still plenty of new PlayStation 4 exclusives on the way that are well worth getting excited about. Insomniac's Spider-Man is primed to close out the PS4's 2018 roster of console exclusives. There are tons of exciting exclusives for PS4 this year. Below is a full list of the biggest ones, and for more information on each game, click through to the slides ahead to find out what each game is and its release date. PS4 Console Exclusive Games In 2018 Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth - Hacker's Memory Concrete Genie Iconoclasts Bravo Team Dreams Fighting EX Layer Shadow of the Colossus God of War Star Child Golem Yakuza 6: The Song of Life Frantics The Inpatient Moss Detroit: Become Human Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom MLB The Show 18 Blood & Truth Dragon's Crown Pro Megadimension Neptunia VIIR Yakuza Kiwami 2 The Seven Deadly Sins: Knights of Britannia Spider-Man Dissidia: Final Fantasy NT We've compiled every one we know of so far here, and will continue to update this gallery with new games as they get announced. Be sure to check back often as we update this gallery with more exclusives. And if you're curious about other platforms, you can check out our features on Xbox One exclusives, PC exclusives, and Switch exclusives. In the meantime, which exclusives are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comments below. Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth - Hacker's Memory The latest game in the long-running Digimon series presents the mysterious backstory to the events that transpired in the first Cyber Sleuth game, and features 320 Digimon from the animated series. Watch some gameplay. Developer: Media.Vision | Release Date: January 19 Iconoclasts Iconoclasts is a Metroidvania-inspired action puzzler where you play as Robin, an unlicensed mechanic in a world ruled by a corrupt theocracy that rules the world by controlling technology. When Robin's actions inevitably provoke the powers that be to hunt down everyone she loves, she becomes embroiled in a conflict that threatens not only the safety of her family but the entire world. We gave the game a 9/10. Read our Iconoclasts review. Developer: Joakim Sandberg | Release Date: January 23 The Inpatient The Inpatient is an unlikely prequel to Supermassive Games' 2015 horror gem, Until Dawn. It's a PSVR experience set 60 years prior to the first game, inside the foreboding halls of Blackwood Sanatorium. We gave the game a 8/10. Read our The Inpatient review. Developer: Supermassive Games | Release Date: January 23 Dissidia: Final Fantasy NT The Dissidia games found a lot of fans back during the PSP's heyday, and more recently in Japanese arcades. The latest in the series released on PlayStation 4, courtesy of Team Ninja, and promised wild mid-air battles between Final Fantasy's most beloved and infamous characters. We gave the game a 5/10. Check out our Dissidia: Final Fantasy NT review. Developer: Team Ninja | Release Date: January 30 Shadow of the Colossus The magical PS2 game Shadow of the Colossus was given a new lease on life with a PS4 remake. Bluepoint Games completely rebuilt every aspect of the game's world while leaving the underlying structure and mechanics intact, making Shadow of the Colossus even better than before. We gave the game a 9/10. Check out our Shadow of the Colossus review. Developer: Bluepoint Games | Release Date: February 6 The Seven Deadly Sins: Knights of Britannia The Seven Deadly Sins: Knights of Britannia lets you enjoy the destructive action and excitement from the anime. Battle your friends in memorable fights that feature the likes of Meliodas, Elizabeth, Ban, Hawk, and the other colorful assortment of characters that live in Britannia. Watch some gameplay. Developer: Bandai Namco Games | Release Date: February 9 Moss Moss is a fetching adventure in a magical world starring a daring and capable mouse named Quill. This game has a lot of heart, but its storybook whims can only be experienced through a PSVR headset. We gave the game a 8/10. Read our Moss review. Developer: Polyarc | Release Date: February 27 Frantics Frantics hopes to entertain you and a few of your closest friends with 15 oddball mini-games. Designed for PlayLink support, you use your smartphone, rather than a DualShock, to participate. Developer: NapNok Games | Release Date: March 6 Bravo Team Supermassive's PSVR game, Bravo Team, is a tactical shooter designed for two-player co-op, either locally or online; teamwork and communication are key to your success. We gave the game a 4/10. Check our Bravo Team review. Developer: Supermassive Games | Release Date: March 6 Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom outdoes its predecessor. An ambitious title, it's a character-driven RPG that doubles as a kingdom simulator and even occasionally becomes a real-time strategy game. We gave the game a 8/10. Check out our Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom review. Developer: Leveil-5 | Release Date: March 23 MLB The Show 18 The most recent addition to Sony's annual baseball series features the formidable New York Yankee, Aaron Judge. MLB The Show 18 pushes the franchise's visuals, mechanics, and authenticity to new heights. We gave the game a 9/10. Read our MLB The Show 18 review. Developer: Sony San Diego Studio | Release Date: March 27 Yakuza 6: The Song of Life Sega's serious-meets-slapstick open-world series continues its onslaught on the West with Yakuza 6: The Song of Life. It's also the first game to take advantage of the new Dragon Engine, which helps the game's lifelike renditions of Tokyo and famous Japanese actors look more convincing than ever. We gave the game a 8/10. Check out our Yakuza 6: The Song of Life review. Developer: Ryu ga Gotoku Studios | Release Date: April 17 God of War With the pantheon of Greek gods behind him, Kratos' latest adventure takes him to the frozen Norse wilds. Though the series' familiar action remains intact, Kratos must now also care for his son, Atreus, as the two work together to overcome brutal obstacles and new opponents. We gave the game a 9/10. Check out our God of War review. Developer: Sony Santa Monica Studio | Release Date: April 20 Dragon's Crown Pro The sumptuously illustrated beat-em-up from Vanillaware is making a comeback, and the Pro version of the game will feature new support for 4K (on PS4 Pro) and a newly recorded orchestrated soundtrack. We gave the original game a 8/10. Check out our Dragon's Crown review. Watch some gameplay of the Pro version of the game. Developer: Vanillaware | Release Date: April 24 Megadimension Neptunia VIIR Megadimension Neptunia VIIR is essentially a rerelease of Megadimension Neptunia VII, but the new version comes with special-made PSVR sections created in an entirely new engine for VIIR. Watch the trailer. Developer: Compile Heart | Release Date: May 8 Detroit: Become Human Detroit: Become Human examines the potential complications that may arise if artificial lifeforms advance far enough to not just appear human, but convince us they feel human as well. Play through multiple outcomes based on the choices you make during calm and heated scenes alike. We gave the game a 7/10. Check out our Detroit: Become Human review. Developer: Quantic Dream | Release Date: May 25 Fighting EX Layer Fighting EX Layer is a fighting game developed by Arika, a studio most known for its work on the cult-classic Street Fighter EX series. It includes many of the original characters from those games, as well as similar fighting mechanics. Watch the trailer. Developer: Arika | Release Date: June 28 Star Child Star Child is a dreamy, narrative-driven platformer from a team of self-admitted sci-fi junkies for PSVR. Developer Playful Corp. is best known for the two Lucky's Tale games: Lucky's Tale for Oculus Rift and Super Lucky's Tale, an early Xbox One X title. Watch the trailer. Developer: Playful Corp. | Release Date: Summer 2018 Yakuza Kiwami 2 A remake of Yakuza 2, Yakuza Kiwami 2 continues the franchise's tradition of offering a staggering amount of different types of gameplay in a action-adventure open world. Watch the trailer. Developer: Sega | Release Date: August 28 Spider-Man Developed by the folks behind the parkour-heavy and vibrant Sunset Overdrive, Spider-Man swings onto PS4 later this year. The game is both great looking and action packed, but we'll have to wait until September to see if the experience can truly do justice to our favorite wall-crawler. Watch some gameplay. Developer: Insomniac Games | Release Date: September 7 Blood & Truth Blood & Truth is a PSVR game poised to build on The London Heist portion of Sony's PlayStation VR Worlds, with more immersive environments and massive shootouts. Watch the trailer. Developer: Sony London Studios | Release Date: TBA 2018 Golem Golem is a PSVR game that gives you the power to create and control creatures made of stone. At first, you'll be limited to the confines of your virtual bedroom, but as you grow more familiar with your powers you'll eventually end up in the middle of an ancient abandoned city while controlling massive, 15-foot giants. Watch the trailer. Developer: Highwire Games | Release Date: TBA 2018 Dreams Like Little Big Planet before it, Dreams aims to give you the power to create worlds with ease and share them with other players. Media Molecule claims that players, rather than the developers, will define what Dreams ultimately becomes. We discussed Dreams at E3 2018. Developer: Media Molecule | Release Date: TBA 2018 Concrete Genie In Concrete Genie, players take on the role of Ash, a troubled teen who's bullied. Ash escapes his problems by painting beautiful landscapes and creatures, but when he finds some magical paint, his artwork begins to come to life. We sat down with the PixelOpus at E3 2018 to talk about Concrete Genie. Developer: PixelOpus | Release Date: TBA 2018 This Huge Lego Voltron Toy Will Be Available Soon, Starting At Comic-Con By Mat Elfring on Jun 29, 2018 04:33 am If you're a fan of the TV series Voltron and you're going to be attending San Diego Comic-Con this July, you're in luck because Lego will be selling a gigantic, buildable Voltron figure at the show. Based on the hit '80s anime series, as well as the current Netflix series--Voltron: Legendary Defender--this giant robot is made up of smaller cat-like robots that come together to form the iconic hero. Now, you can build it yourself with a lot of patience and time, as well as some disposable income. If you aren't going to be at SDCC, don't worry, you can still get your hands on Voltron as this will be available for purchase on August 1. This is Lego's biggest "buildable" action figure to date, coming in at 2,321 pieces. Obviously, a Lego set of this scale is going to have a hefty price-point. This Voltron set will cost $180, and while it's not as expensive as something like the $800 Millennium Falcon--which is to scale--Voltron is still pricey, but then again, it's five robots coming together to make a larger robot. What's really interesting about this Lego design is that it stays true to the source material. The set consists of the five cat-like robots, which connect to each other using what Lego calls "extra-strong joints." So, much like a Power Rangers' Megazord toy or Transformers' Devastator, you're getting toys that come together to create another toy, in some sort of reverse-toyception. When the lion-robots come together to form Voltron, the figure will stand at 15" tall, while the lions--expect the black one--themselves are 3" tall. Additionally, the figure comes with Voltron's sword and shield. For an in-depth look at this toy from almost every angle, check out the rest of the gallery ahead. If you're looking for more toys and nostalgia, check out some classic TMNT action figures, cartoons starring animals from the '80s and '90s, and weird cartoons based on movies. The Best Games Of 2018 (So Far): PS4, Xbox One, PC, And Switch By Matt Espineli on Jun 29, 2018 04:14 am The First Half's Finest The first half of 2018 has been packed with tons of fantastic games. Much like last year, there are several well worth your time to play. Big-budget games, like God of War, Far Cry 5, and Dragon Ball FighterZ, floored us with their attention to detail and quality mechanics. On the other hand, smaller indie experiences continued to turn our heads; Iconoclasts and Celeste were some of the early standouts of this year, but a wealth of other unique experiences have released since then, like Yoku's Island Express and Minit. Around this time of year in 2017, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Nier: Automata, Persona 5, Horizon: Zero Dawn, and Resident Evil 7: Biohazard were some of the most fantastic experiences. However, this year seems to be meeting the high standard set by those games, and in a wide variety of genres. With so many games coming out every month, it can be tough keeping track of the best ones. To ensure you're aware of this year's finest, we've gathered them all here for your convenience. Ahead are games exemplary enough to be considered some of the best of this year so far. By the end of the year, a number of these could become candidates for 2018's Game of the Year awards. Which games do you think will be good enough to be included in our Game of the Year awards? Let us know in the comments below. The Red Strings Club -- 9/10 (Platforms: PC) "From the game's opening piano chords, The Red String Club's futuristic exploration of themes regarding human emotion, strong writing, and exciting situations create an experience that is deeply gratifying. The cast of relatable, three-dimensional characters elevate the stakes of every bullet fired, secret divulged and cocktail poured. They are flawed and dangerous, but also convey admirable human characteristics that feel inspirational. The Red Strings Club is a tense adventure about a cast of characters that endanger themselves for goals that aren't necessarily guaranteed, a rewarding journey into the human soul, and a game that pushes the limits of what a point-and-click adventure can do." [Read the full review] -- David Rayfield Iconoclasts -- 9/10 (Platforms: PS4, Vita, PC) "When Iconoclasts' end credits begin to roll, it's bittersweet to see the journey come to a close. After solving every puzzle and witnessing the finale of its poignant narrative, you can't help but reflect on the growth of its characters and your impact onto the world. The game will shock and surprise you with how gripping its story is, and it's likely to do so again in subsequent playthroughs of New Game+ with your expanded knowledge of character histories and events. Iconoclasts may be a callback to the style and mechanics of old-school games, but it's also a sincere and compelling adventure that anyone with respect for fantastic storytelling and 2D-action can enjoy." [Read the full review] -- Matt Espineli, Associate Editor The Inpatient -- 8/10 (Platforms: PSVR) "The Inpatient doesn't just do right by Until Dawn, but stands right alongside it as one of the strongest horror experiences on PlayStation 4. It's a game far less concerned with pushing you towards what's lurking down every corridor than feeding you the worst ideas of what could be." [Read the full review] -- Justin Clark Celeste -- 9/10 (Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) "It's a testament to convincing writing and ingenious design that after playing Celeste I felt like I'd been on the same journey as Madeline. Her struggle is one made easy to empathize with, her low points painful to watch, and her high notes exhilarating to experience. Her tale is delicately told and beautifully illustrated, confidently coalescing with the satisfying, empowering game it lies within. Not bad for a game about climbing a mountain." [Read the full review] -- Oscar Dayus, Staff Writer Monster Hunter World -- 8/10 (Platforms: PS4, Xbox One) "Ever since the title was first announced last year, it was clear that Capcom was gunning for something grander than Monster Hunter Generations. It has succeeded, and this is likely the biggest and best that the franchise has ever been. It's not just the comparative depth of the narrative; it also boasts almost seamless integration between combat systems that were previously incomprehensible for amateurs. The Monster Hunter formula has definitely honed its claws, and all the above factors play their part in making Monster Hunter World a meaningful evolution for the series at large." [Read the full review] -- Ginny Woo Subnautica -- 9/10 (Platforms: PC) "Subnautica's story, scares, and beautifully rendered underwater setting make it one of the most fascinating survival games around. You will always have to grind away to a certain extent to gather necessary resources, but the overall experience is both accessible and refined. Subnautica may not make you eager to get back to the beach this summer, but right now there is no better virtual way to experience the beauty, and the terror, of the deep blue sea." [Read the full review] -- Brett Todd Shadow of the Colossus -- 9/10 (Platforms: PS4) "Shadow of the Colossus is a tremendous journey, and one well worth taking and retaking. The visual overhaul is stunning, thoroughly enhancing every facet of Wander and Agro's excellent adventure. Galloping through the tranquil world is always breathtaking; felling a monumental colossus is always humbling. Shadow of the Colossus is a beautiful reconstruction of an already exceptional title. It continues to be a modern classic and is an extraordinary game that everyone must experience." [Read the full review] -- Edmond Tran, Editor and Senior Producer Dragon Ball FighterZ (Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC) "FighterZ is complex and distinct enough to be enjoyed by fighting game competitors, but there's no question that it's been designed to tap into the hearts of Dragon Ball's most dedicated fans, and no doubt those same qualities will win people over who've never given the series a chance. Where past games attempted to get there through huge character rosters and deliberately predictable trips down memory lane, FighterZ has bottled the essence of what makes the series' characters, animation, and sense of humor so beloved and reconfigured it into something new: a Dragon Ball fighting game that can go toe-to-toe with the best of the genre." [Read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Reviews Editor EA Sports UFC 3 -- 8/10 (Platforms: PS4, Xbox One) "EA Sports UFC 3 is a tense, exciting, and dynamic recreation of the stand and bang aspect of mixed martial arts. There's a fluidity to the way it moves, and a satisfying feel and unpredictability to the way fights can unfold that demands your engagement. The grappling still needs plenty of work, and one would hope this is something EA Canada addresses in the next iteration; yet these shortcomings become easier to overlook because of the accomplishment of its redefined striking. When it comes to the art of combat, few sports titles do it better." [Read the full review] -- Richard Wakeling Radiant Historia Perfect Chronology -- 8/10 (Platforms: 3DS) "With all the time juggling, the brain-teasing mechanic of the White Chronicle doesn't overshadow Radiant Historia Perfect Chronology's story. Its politically charged tale complements Stocke's personal journey as he follows his orders and makes sense of his powers. The White Chronicles' close connection to the plot only makes temporal manipulation all the more engrossing, regardless if you're working your way to the game's best conclusion or hitting every node in the timeline. This feature maintains its grip for much of the game's 60-hour journey in spite of its combat shortcomings. Had this been a straight port of the DS version, it would still warrant the attention of RPG enthusiasts who missed Radiant Historia the first time around. With its upgrades and considerable bonuses--particularly the Sub-History--even those who think they got their fill by beating the original game should check out this definitive edition." [Read the full review] -- Miguel Concepcion Kingdom Come: Deliverance -- 8/10 (Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC) "Even with these issues in mind, anyone who can appreciate the down-and-dirty nature of history should play Kingdom Come: Deliverance. It's an impressive and unflinching look at the medieval era that transports you inside the compelling story of a real person caught in the middle of a civil war. As such, this is one of those rare, memorable games that stays with you long after you stop playing. While quirks and bugs can certainly be frustrating, none of these issues interfere much with the unique and captivating nature of the overall experience." [Read the full review] -- Brett Todd Moss -- 8/10 (Platforms: PSVR) "It's a testament to just how well Moss understands PlayStation VR and works with the device instead of trying to bend it to a will it was never designed for. Moss wouldn't feel right without it at all, and its many strengths are married to the interactions that only full immersion can manufacture. Unsurprisingly, then, Moss is easily one of PlayStation VR's best titles to date, even if it's a little too eager to get you in and out of its world." [Read the full review] -- Alessandro Barbosa Into The Breach -- 9/10 (Platforms: PC) "There is so much strategic joy in seeing the potential destruction a swarm of giant monsters is about to unleash on a city, then quickly staging and executing elaborate counter maneuvers to ruin the party. Into The Breach's focus on foresight makes its turn-based encounters an action-packed, risk-free puzzle, and the remarkable diversity of playstyles afforded by unique units keeps each new run interesting. It's a pleasure to see what kind of life-threatening predicaments await for you to creatively resolve in every new turn, every new battle, and every new campaign. Into The Breach is a pristine and pragmatic tactical gem with dynamic conflicts that will inspire you to jump back in again, and again, and again." [Read the full review] -- Edmond Tran, Editor and Senior Producer Kirby: Star Allies -- 8/10 (Platforms: Switch) "Star Allies is yet another Kirby game, but it's up there with some of the best. It's an artistic showcase, and a great opportunity for co-op platforming. The one real complaint you can levy at it is that it gates off its more challenging aspects, but the fact that they are present to begin with will please anyone who's grown weary of the series' painless platforming." [Read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Reviews Editor Surviving Mars -- 8/10 (Platforms: Xbox One, PC) "Surviving Mars, above else, is about hope. So many strategy games hold to their gameplay, eschewing any overarching themes or messages. But, as corny as it sounds, for those who believe in the majesty of spaceflight, for those who are keen to marvel at how pernicious our plucky little species can be, Surviving Mars is SimCity with soul. It shows the challenges that come along with planetary migration, but it also shows that they are solvable. With the right planning, drive, and ingenuity, we can do great things together." [Read the full review] -- Daniel Starkey Attack On Titan 2 -- 8/10 (Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch) "Despite its slow start, Attack on Titan 2 offers exciting gameplay along with a deep and intriguing plot that, melodrama aside, tugs on the heart strings. It's well-paced and offers some impressive spaces to move through. The unique combination of the movement and combat mechanics combines with a gripping story to make Attack on Titan 2 one of the more surprising releases of the year." [Read the full review] -- James Swinbanks Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kindgom -- 8/10 (Platforms: PS4, PC) "Ni No Kuni 2 is a robust game that offers ample ways to spend your time, and even if they aren't all up to the same level of quality, it's easy to appreciate how they collectively contribute to the bigger picture. It's chock full of excellent battles and surprising moments that make for a far more memorable experience than you initially expect and leaves you impressed by your own accomplishments. If you didn't play the first game, don't let this one pass you by too." [Read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Reviews Editor MLB The Show 18 -- 9/10 (Platforms: PS4) "Sony's flagship baseball franchise has never been better. With its best-in-class controls and visuals, and impeccable attention to detail for the small stuff, MLB The Show 18 is worth catching for any baseball fan." [Read the full review] -- Eddie Makuch, Editor Minit -- 8/10 (Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC) "Minit's lives might only last 60 seconds, but its extremely well-thought-out world design and engrossing loop of progress make it a curse-filled adventure that is worth dying the world over for. Its throwback to classic visuals aren't done for aesthetic alone, as none of its gameplay systems scream antiquity. It's a slickly presented adventure that continually manages to surprise you with every new area you uncover or item you procure, pushing you to pick away at its seams to uncover every drop of what it has to offer. With a delightful ending and more promised after its first run of credits, Minit is far more than just a collection of seconds." [Read the full review] -- Alessandro Barbosa Far Cry 5 -- 9/10 (Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC) "Despite some brief irritations and missed opportunities with its narrative, spending time in the world of Hope County remains absolutely delightful. Far Cry 5 boasts a wonderfully harmonious flow to its adventure, with its smart changes to exploration, discovery, and progression distinctly bolstering the enjoyment of creatively engaging and experimenting with its spectacular open world." [Read the full review] -- Edmond Tran, Editor and Senior Producer God of War -- 9/10 (Platforms: PS4) "In many ways God of War is what the series has always been. It's a spectacular action game with epic set pieces, big-budget production values, and hard-hitting combat that grows more feverish and impressive as you progress. What may surprise you is how mature its storytelling has become. Like Kratos, God of War recalls the past while acknowledging the need to improve. Everything new it does is for the better, and everything it holds onto benefits as a result. Kratos is no longer a predictable brute. God of War is no longer an old-fashioned action series. With this reboot, it confidently walks a new path that will hopefully lead to more exciting adventures to come." [Read the full review] -- Peter Brown, Reviews Editor Yakuza 6: The Song of Life -- 8/10 (Platforms: PS4) "Yakuza 6 reins in its scope, but doubles down on what has made the series great. It's a unique and fascinating representation of the modern Japanese experience, worth playing even if you're a newcomer. The narrative is dramatic and sincere, and the game's endearing characters--coming from all walks of life--are interesting studies. The world is dense and rewarding to exist in, the dynamic combat system stays exciting even after you've kicked the crap out of five thousand enemies, and perhaps most importantly, Yakuza 6: The Song Of Life serves as a fulfilling conclusion to the turbulent, decade-long saga of its beloved icon, Kazuma Kiryu." [Read the full review] -- Edmond Tran, Editor and Senior Producer The Alliance Alive -- 8/10 (Platforms: 3DS) "There's a lot to love about The Alliance Alive: a well-paced story in an interesting world, a meaty mashup of unique combat elements, and a fantastic soundtrack that keeps you pumped and eager to explore. If you can put up with a bit of a learning curve, you'll find a great portable adventure well worth dusting off your 3DS for." [Read the full review] -- Heidi Kemps Frostpunk -- 9/10 (Platforms: PC) "Frostpunk is among the best overall takes on the survival city builder to date. Its theming and consistency create a powerful narrative through line that binds your actions around the struggle to hold onto humanity in uncertain times. Hope is a qualified good, but you may not always be strong enough (or clever enough) to shelter that flame from the cold." [Read the full review] -- Daniel Starkey Total War: Thrones of Britannia -- 8/10 (Platforms: PC) "Thrones of Britannia is an exciting experience despite the cuts to integral components of the Total War series, such as city planning hinging on military needs, specific building customization, and expanded intrigue options. But this has given Creative Assembly room to focus on enhancing parts of the strategy experience that aren't quite as impenetrable to newcomers, and to allow the series to return to some of the beloved parts of previous historical games to balance out its newer, slimmer form. While there are minor issues with AI, and pacing suffers when you've comfortably gotten the upper hand, this is still a worthy and engaging contribution to the Total War stable that has successfully taken its cues from history's winners and losers alike." [Read the full review] -- Ginny Woo Battletech -- 8/10 (Platforms: PC) "Battletech is a game that selfishly takes its time to be meticulous in every respect, and pushing through the density and idiosyncrasies of its many, slow-moving parts can be tough. But if you have the will to decipher it, albeit, at a deliberate and punishingly plodding pace, you can find yourself completely engrossed in its kinetic clashes. Battletech's intricate components ultimately foster a fascinating wealth of nuanced systems that build a uniquely strenuous, detailed, and thoroughly rewarding tactical strategy game." [Read the full review] -- Edmond Tran, Editor and Senior Producer Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire -- 8/10 (Platforms: PC) "Deadfire is dense, and it isn't a small game, easily dwarfing its predecessor in terms of scale. There's a lot to do, and it's easier than ever to get lost in the little stories you find, without following the arcs that the game has specially set out for you. Still, it's worth taking your time. The richness of Deadfire takes a while to appreciate, and like the brined sailors that call it home, you'll be left with an indelible attachment to these islands when you do finally step away." [Read the full review] -- Daniel Starkey Far: Lone Sails -- 8/10 (Platforms: PC) "Lone Sails is a transfixing, lovely experience, one that takes recurring indie game tropes and does something unique and fun with them. It's short enough that you could play through it in a single two or three-hour session, but it will likely stick with you for a long time. I can see myself going back in a few months just to revisit the ship, like checking in on an old friend." [Read the full review] -- James O'Connor Yoku's Island Express -- 8/10 (Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch) "Yoku's Island Express takes two unlikely genres and combines them into one playful, natural experience. The game's audio and visual design is simply joyous and the large game world seamlessly combines its pinball puzzles with some brilliant level designs. While traversing the large map does get frustrating at times, Yoku's Island Express' main quest never drags, and with its slate of fun abilities, quirky supporting characters and a generous amount of optional content, Yoku's Island Express is a unique journey that's refreshing and just straight up fun." [Read the full review] -- Alexander Pan BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle -- 9/10 (Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Switch) "Whether playing through the story mode alone or against hardened opponents online, Cross Tag Battle is an absolute joy with a surplus of possibilities within its wide roster and versatile fighting system. Even with all the ridiculousness of the overarching plot, I reveled in the charm of my favorite characters and embraced the many moments of fan service. It's a masterful unification of styles and mechanics from four different universes that compels you to dig deeper and dedicate the time to getting the most out of the beloved members of this cast." [Read the full review] -- Michael Higham, Associate Editor Onrush -- 9/10 (Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC) "When it comes to crumpling metal and high speed thrills, not all of Onrush's game modes are on equal footing in terms of consistent excitement. Yet its foundations are so strong, and so unique, that it's easy to lose hours upon hours barreling around these disparate tracks. The question of longevity will, of course, depend on post-release support, with new classes, game modes, and tracks potentially on the horizon. Considering you need 12 players to fill a full room, it would be a shame if Onrush doesn't find the kind of audience that will give it the lifespan it deserves. Part of this will depend on how Codemasters iterates on the game from here on out, but they've shown a proficiency in knowing how arcade racing games click, and Onrush is such a bold, refreshing twist on the genre that there should be little hesitation in putting your faith in them to succeed." [Read the full review] -- Richard Wakeling Unravel Two -- 8/10 (Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC) "With its charming yarnlings and a newfound style of platforming, Unravel Two remains welcoming even at its most foreboding. Sure, a forest fire breaks out in one of the latter stages, but even then, the race to keep ahead of the blaze is fun and frantic instead of stressful. In almost every moment you're given ample time and space to breathe and take in the stunning photorealistic world from the viewpoint of the tiniest creatures. It's a game with boisterous birds, chases through meadows, and most importantly a cheerful partnership with a companion who's always got your back. With only six chapters that run roughly 30 minutes apiece, Unravel Two doesn't last long, but it's a game where the time you have is meaningful, memorable, and downright pleasant from beginning to end." [Read the full review] -- Justin Clark The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit -- 8/10 (Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC) "Life is Strange gained a huge cult following, and whether you're a veteran or a newcomer, Captain Spirit captures a lot of the original game's appeal. Regardless of how you classify The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit--whether it's a standalone adventure, a demo, or a prologue--it's a beautiful game, and one that leaves you all the more excited about Life is Strange 2." [Read the full review] -- James O'Connor 19 Biggest Jump Scares In Horror Movies By Dan Auty on Jun 29, 2018 03:16 am The jump scare is one of the easiest, laziest, and most maligned techniques in horror cinema. For decades, it's been used by directors as an easy way to get a cheap scare, and usually involves a long stretch of silence interrupted by a sudden loud noise. These moments doesn't necessarily make a movie scary, they just mean that audiences are momentarily surprised. But in the right hands, and deployed at the right moment, the jump scare can be a highly effective device. The most skilled directors use them to add to the tension and intensity of a movie, letting an audience know that anything could happen at any given moment. Whether it's a monster appearing from the shadows, a hand from under the bed, or something in the background making a sudden movement, the best jump scares are hard to forget. So here's our look at some of the most memorable, effective, and terrifying jump scares in horror history. Hold on tight! 19. A Tale Of Two Sisters (2003) Like many Asian horror movies, this creepy South Korean film relies more on atmosphere and dread than big jump scares. But there's one great moment. The movie's creepy stepmother sees a hairclip on the floor of her kitchen. She bends down to pick it up and a hand suddenly appears from under the sink and grabs her. 18. The Orphanage (2007) Director JA Bayona is currently terrifying audiences with Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, and 10 years ago, he was doing much the same with this outstanding Spanish-language chiller. There's a great, totally unexpected scare in the scene where main character Laura sees a woman hit by a bus. She goes over to the body and picks up a key hanging around neck. Suddenly, the woman grabs her arm and a sheet falls away from her head to reveal her horrendously mangled face. 17. The Thing (1982) Director John Carpenter deserves much credit for being able to make his audience jump, even when anticipating something terrible in almost every scene. With a shapeshifting alien having infiltrated The Thing's arctic science team, anyone could transform into a hideous creature at any time. But it's still a massive shock when the character Norris--who has seemingly just suffered a heart attack--reveals himself to be the alien. As Dr Copper is about to use a defibrillator on him, Norris's chest splits open to reveal a set of massive fangs, which proceed to bite the poor doc's arms off. 16. The Descent (2005) Much of The Descent takes place in the claustrophobic darkness of a cave network, in which a group of friends encounters a race of subterranean monsters known as 'crawlers.' We are introduced to these creatures in seriously scary style, via the point-of-view of a night camera it moves between the characters, revealing one standing right behind the group. 15. Insidious (2010) Director James Wan might rely on traditional techniques to scare his audiences, but he's damn good at it. While both The Conjuring and Saw have their moments, his best scare is in Insidious. It's simple but highly effective. Two characters, played by Patrick Wilson and Barbara Hershey, are having a conversation across a kitchen tale. Wan cuts between the two throughout--but then Hershey hears a strange sound. The director cuts back to Wilson to reveal the movie's red-faced demon now standing right behind him. 14. The Shining (1980) Stephen King is famously dismissive of Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of his classic novel and the liberties it took with the story. One of the biggest changes is the cruel, unexpected death of Halloran, the friendly chef who shares a "shining" ability with young Danny Torrance. Having spent much of the film travelling through terrible weather conditions to the Overlook hotel to save Danny, he is shockingly dispatched by Jack Nicholson and an ax within minutes of stepping into the hotel. 13. Candyman (1992) Bernard Rose's adaptation of the Clive Barker story is one of the best horror movies of the 1990s, and it features a knock-out scare. Throughout the movie we are told that the vengeful, demonic former slave Candyman can be summoned by saying his name five times into the mirror. The main character Helen is not stupid enough to do that, but it doesn't matter. She opens a bathroom cabinet from which a terrifying hooked hand emerges. Like many of the scares on this list, this one works because of the eerie silence and carefully paced build-up that proceeds the big fright. 12. It Follows (2014) The acclaimed It Follows shows that you don't need lavish special effects and camera trickery to terrify--you just need a great concept. In this case, it's literally being followed by a terrifying entity in human form. If it catches you, you die. One of the biggest shocks comes as a girl stand in a hallway. Suddenly, from behind, the looming figure of a tall, scary man appears, lurching towards her from out of the darkness. 11. REC (2007) The Spanish quasi-zombie movie REC uses its handheld first-person technique to great effect. With much of the film set in the darkness of a tenement building, knowing that infected residents could appear at any point helps generate some incredible tension. The biggest fright concurs when one character is looking around an attic to check if it is a safe place to hide. The camera almost completes an entire 360 degree turn, before suddenly revealing an infected kid waiting to attack. 10. Halloween (1978) John Carpenter's seminal slasher is a masterclass in terror, and it works because the audience never knows when masked maniac Michael Myers will next appear. The biggest shock is near the end, after Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) discovers the body for her friend Annie, placed on a bed next to a headstone. As Laurie backs away in horror, the body of Bob, one of the Michael's earlier victims, swings into shot from the doorframe behind her. 9. Mulholland Drive (2001) David Lynch doesn't make "straight" horror movies, but there's no denying that many of his films plunge into terrifying, nightmarish territory. The Hollywood-set mystery Mulholland Drive features a sequence that seemingly has little to do with the main story, but works superbly in helping generate a sense of absolute dread. Two men talk in a diner about a dream one had, in which he saw something horrific behind the building. So the pair go outside to take a look, and after an agonising build-up, a scary-looking hobo slides into shot from behind a wall. The incredible thing about this scene is that the characters actually tell us what's about to happen a couple of minutes before it does, and it's still utterly terrifying. Actress Bonnie Aarons, who plays the hobo, later went on to terrify more viewers as the demonic nun in James Wan's Conjuring movies. 8. The Ring (2002) For the most part, the Hollywood remake of the classic Japanese horror movie Ringu isn't as effective as the original. But there is a top quality scare, as Katie's mom tells Rachel (Naomi Watts) about finding her dead daughter in a closet. It's a quiet, sad scene, and we don't expect director Gore Verbinski to suddenly cut to the horrifying face of the girl at the moment she was discovered. 7. Poltergeist (1980) Clowns and dolls are two of horror's scariest tropes, so it's little wonder that Poltergeist's biggest scare combines them both. Little Robbie has a spooky clown doll that sits at the end of his bed, and when the clown suddenly disappears, he makes the unwise decision to look for him under his bed. In a classic bit of misdirection, director Tobe Hooper relaxes the audiences momentarily by showing that he is not under there--before revealing that he's actually sitting next to Robbie. Boo! 6. Carrie (1976) Some jump scares perform an important narrative role, and some are just there purely to get the audience to leap from their seats. The final moment of Brian De Palma's classic Stephen King adaptation is very much in the latter group; it's a bit silly but highly effective. Amy Irving's character Sue lays flowers on the grave of Carrie White. But then a bloody arm emerges for the grave and grabs her! And of course, it's all a dream. 5. Audition (1999) The Japanese horror masterpiece Audition is best known for its excruciating climactic torture scene, but it also contains a terrifying jump scare. It's actually the first real scare in the movie and doesn't occur until well over an hour in--this is a film that takes its time to get to the scary stuff. But when it does, it utterly delivers. We already have our suspicion that the girl called Asami might not be everything she seems, and the movie's creeping dread pays off in the scene where she sits alone in her apartment, ignoring the phone while it rings. Suddenly, the mysterious bag which has sat in the background throughout the film grunts and moves--something or someone is inside. 4. Se7en (1995) The fate of the Sloth, the third victim in David Fincher's serial killer favorite seems so ghastly that you don't expect there to be a second shock in store. Cops burst into his apartment the find the poor guy tied to a bed, having been there for a whole year. But the real kicker is that he's still alive, and his sudden convulsion several minutes into the scene is one of the all-time great jump scares. 3. Jaws (1975) Steven Spielberg might be one of the cinema's greatest filmmakers, but that doesn't put him above an old-fashioned jump scare. In his shark classic Jaws, the underwater exploration of a sunken boat is interrupted by the severed, maggot-eaten head of its owner Ben Gardner floating into view. 2. Friday the 13th (1980) While Jason Voorhees is known as the masked killer throughout the Friday the 13th series, he doesn't actually commit any of the murders in the first movie. That's all the work his mom Pamela--but young Jason does make an appearance right at the end, in one of horror's most famous scares. Alice, the sole survivor of Pamela's massacre, lies in a boat, recovering. Unfortunately, the young, deformed Jason is in the water, and in the movie's final moment emerges and pulls her into the lake. 1. The Exorcist III (1990) Perhaps the greatest jump scare of all time. The first Exorcist might be by far the best movie in the franchise, but even that film doesn't have a moment like this. A quiet, drawn-out long shot of nurse doing her rounds on a hospital corridor is suddenly punctured by the crash zoom into a hooded figure striding towards her with a giant pair of shears, as the soundtrack shrieks to life. It's nightmarish and unforgettable. The Week's Best Video Game Deals: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC By Chris Reed on Jun 29, 2018 02:27 am The Best Video Game Deals Of The Week We all love video games, and everyone loves a good deal. So when you combine those things, you end up with something we can all get behind. If you're looking for deals on video games, you've come to the right place. Let's take a moment to check in on the very best gaming deals that are available this week and see what kinds of savings we can find. Whether you play games on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, or PC, you'll likely find something you want to play available at an excellent low price. This week you can find video game sales going on at Best Buy, GameStop, PlayStation Store, Xbox Store, Steam, and the Nintendo Eshop, to name just a few. One of the biggest sales of the year is going on this week. It's the Steam Summer Sale, and it has low prices on a staggering number of games ranging from indie titles to AAA blockbusters. You can find GameSpot staff's picks for the best Steam games on sale, or for the best Steam games available for $5 or less. If you're looking for free games for PlayStation Plus members this week, you can find that here. Xbox Live Gold subscribers have their own set of games they can download for free this week as well. At any rate, it's time to get back to the week's best deals on specific games. We've dug through all the deals to find the best ones all over the place. Read on to see what games you can get and how much you can save. Some links to supporting retailers are automatically made into affiliate links, and GameSpot may receive a small share of those sales. Free Stuff Everyone loves free stuff, so let's start with the deals that won't cost you a penny. This weekend, PS4 owners can play Destiny 2 for free, complete with the full campaign, all modes, and all gear that comes in the base game. Xbox One owners aren't left out of the freebies this week, though, because they--in addition to PS4 owners--can download free DLC expansions for Battlefield 1 and Battlefield 4. Destiny 2 -- Free this weekend on PS4 Battlefield 1 Turning Tides -- Free -- Xbox One | PS4 Battlefield 4 Second Assault -- Free -- Xbox One | PS4 Dark Souls Remastered Praising the sun won't set you back too much this week. Even though Dark Souls Remastered just launched last month, you can already get it for 25% off at Best Buy. Dark Souls Remastered for PS4 -- $30 Dark Souls Remastered for Xbox One -- $30 Doom Killing demons on Mars has never been this frenetic--or this infused with heavy metal. Best Buy has Doom for $15 this week. Doom for PS4 -- $15 Doom for Xbox One -- $15 Fallout 4 Fallout 76 won't be out for a few months, but you can get yourself ready by playing Fallout 4 for cheap. Fallout 4 for PS4 -- $15 Fallout 4 for Xbox One -- $15 Fallout 4 for Steam -- $15 FIFA 18 With the World Cup going on now, it's a perfect time to play a soccer video game. Thankfully, the flagship soccer game is on sale this week. FIFA 18 for PS4 -- $30 FIFA 18 for Xbox One -- $30 FIFA 18 for Nintendo Switch -- $24 Grand Theft Auto V GTA 5, the open-world crime simulator that's still getting regular updates even four years after its initial release, is on sale for just $20 across all platforms. Grand Theft Auto V for PS4 -- $20 Grand Theft Auto V for Xbox One -- $20 Grand Theft Auto V on Steam -- $20 L.A. Noire Nintendo Switch owners can solve crimes in 1940s Los Angeles with L.A. Noire, a Rockstar game from 2011 that has recently made its way onto Nintendo's hybrid system. Buy L.A. Noire for Nintendo Switch -- $37 Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition It might have been lacking some core features at launch, but Street Fighter V has gotten a lot of attention from Capcom since release, culminating in this feature-rich edition that also comes with new characters. Street Fighter V - Arcade Edition for PS4 -- $24 (requires PS Plus) Tekken 7 You can't play Street Fighter V on an Xbox One, but you can beat the snot out of opponents in Tekken 7. It's on sale at the Xbox Store for half off. Tekken 7 -- $30 Best Cheap PC Games On Steam You Can Buy Right Now By Chris Pereira on Jun 29, 2018 12:37 am Great Computer Games At Low Prices Due to the nature of the platform, PC has the broadest array of games you'll find anywhere. With the majority of those games playable on modern hardware, save for occasional instances where current operating systems don't support certain games, that means you have a Herculean task in front of you when deciding what to buy and play. Similarly, whereas console and handheld games see discounts on a more irregular basis, there are constantly sales on places like Steam, GOG, Humble, Itch.io, and so on. But sale or not, there are plenty of years-old games that are now low-priced but nevertheless worth playing. As such, it can be downright overwhelming when you decide to pick up something you haven't played before. You have decades of games to choose from. Even if you set yourself a price limit--say, $20 in the US--that does very little to actually reduce the number of games you have to consider. And that's where we come in. Above, we're rounding up some of the best games you can find on PC for no more than $20. Due to what's described above, this is far from comprehensive--it's simply impossible to highlight every noteworthy PC game that you can pick up for relatively cheap. But we've assembled a list of games that we think you'll be quite pleased to play, and we'll continue to expand the selection over time. All of these games are regularly priced at no more than $20--whether or not there's a Steam sale going on. There's usually such a promotion not far off, which means you can get these already budget-priced games for even cheaper. If you're looking for picks based on what's on sale, we've got recommendations for the best Steam summer sale 2018 deals. Into the Breach ($15 / £11.39) From the creators of FTL comes hands down, one of 2018's best games. Into the Breach is tactical strategy boiled down to its purest elements, with completely transparent mechanics that let you know exactly what the enemy is going to do next, and what effect your hypothetical actions will have before you make them. This alone makes every single turn a satisfying brain-churn that has you poring over all the game's exciting and multi-faceted cause-and-effect systems. With dozens of unique mechs, it's a sincere joy to experiment and replay Into the Breach again and again and again. -- Edmond Tran Read our Into the Breach review Gunpoint ($10 / £6) Gunpoint is a brilliant blend of comedy, stealth, and puzzle games. It puts you in the role of a spy who breaks into various secure buildings using two key tools. The first of these is the Crosslink, which lets you rewire gadgets throughout the building to suit your needs--letting you set up elaborate traps that can result in a guard being knocked off his feet by a door swinging open into his face. Your other standout ability allows you to fling your character around, which presents you with an opportunity to go flying through windows to stylishly and hilariously take out guards. Both the guards and your your character can be taken out in one shot, which requires you to plan out your moves in advance. And thankfully, actually pulling them off is every bit as satisfying as you'd hope. -- Chris Pereira Read our Gunpoint review Papers, Please ($10 / £7) I sincerely hope you're skipping this entry because you've already played and finished this game, because Papers, Please is one of my favourite games of all time. It's a modern classic where premise and mechanics marry together beautifully with difficult moral choices, strict consequences, and an unavoidable imperative for self-gain. You play an immigration inspector on a politically tumultuous Eastern European border, charged with inspecting and cross-referencing documents, controlling the flow of people, and correcting following protocol above all else. Hidden amongst civilians are spies and terrorists, but also sympathetic stories of innocent people caught by the riptides of war, trying to hang on to a semblance of life. Where does your loyalty lie: To the job that's keeping your family fed, to the greater good, yourself, or potentially, something else? How far are you willing to push your moral compass? Paper, Please is a masterpiece through and through, and it makes stamping passports feel like the most satisfying feeling in the whole world. -- Edmond Tran Read our Papers, Please review Devil Daggers ($5 / £4) Devil Daggers offers a level of simplicity you don't often find in shooters. It's a fast-paced game in the mold of classic FPSes like Quake, but it takes on elements of roguelikes as you're stuck in an arena and tasked with surviving for as long as possible. You have only a single weapon with two modes of fire--one in the style of a rapid-fire machine gun, and the other like a shotgun--and an endless wave of monstrous enemies to defeat. There's not much more to it than that, and it's common for runs to last no more than 30 seconds to a minute. The visuals are modest and there is not a tremendous amount of complexity going on, but Devil Daggers offers a satisfying, super-intense loop as you strive to last longer and longer. With your replay being uploaded for others to watch, it's an ideal high-score-chasing game that you'll come back to time and again. -- Chris Pereira Read our Devil Daggers review Valkyria Chronicles ($20 / £15) I hope no PC devotees out there will get upset when I say that one of the most innovative tactical strategy games of the past decade was born as a console game, and is anime as hell. Valkyria Chronicles puts some strange twists on its alternate version of World War II, but that doesn't deny the fact that its battle system is unique and fun. You plan and order troops in a turn-based fashion with a top-down strategy phase, but then need to personally move an ordered troop or vehicle in a real-time third-person mode and line up their shots. It may sound arduous, but it's incredibly satisfying and exciting to actually do. Its beautiful watercolour art direction has aged very well, and with Valkyria Chronicles 4 coming out on PC and consoles later this year, you might as well see what the fuss is all about. -- Edmond Tran Read our Valkyria Chronicles review The Typing of the Dead: Overkill ($20 / £15) There have been plenty of light gun-style arcade shooters over the years, but only one has let you deal with foes by typing on a keyboard. The Typing of the Dead: Overkill is the latest and greatest evolution of the Typing of the Dead series, and it remains as enjoyable as ever. Rather than taking aim with a cursor or a light gun, here you type away various words and phrases to dispatch the undead. Aside from the game's B-movie-inspired comedy, the actual words you type can be a consistent source of humor. And with the PS3 version of House of the Dead included, as well as co-op support for two players, there's more than enough variety to keep things feeling fresh. -- Chris Pereira Nex Machina ($20 / £4.49) Nex Machina developer Housemarque has been focused almost exclusively on twin-stick shooters for the last decade. Starting with Super Stardust HD and running through games like Resogun and Dead Nation, it's experimented with different spins on the genre. Nex Machina feels like the culmination of those efforts, offering intense, high-octane action that constantly has you analyzing your surroundings and your options for disposing of enemies. It's an incredibly fun and satisfying experience to pick up and play, but it also features a variety of wrinkles and secrets for high-score chasers. Add in the gorgeous, neon-infused visuals, and you've got the finest output of Housemarque to date--which makes it all the more upsetting that the studio has decided to shift gears and go in a different direction. Still, you won't find a better example of its work than Nex Machina. | Chris Pereira Read our Nex Machina review Pac-Man: Championship Edition 2 ($13 / £10) "Pac-Man: Championship Edition 2 creates an exciting dynamic where ghosts are still dangerous, but the overall game is more forgiving than the original--and it's more entertaining as a result. Arcade ports tend to be games we play in short bursts--mostly for the nostalgia factor. Pac-Man: Championship Edition 2 certainly relies on that nostalgia to a point, but it handles the classic game in a way that plays with expectations to surprise you. It's the same game enhanced in the right directions to be make an old concept fun, innovative, and challenging all over again." -- Jason D'Aprile Read our Pac-Man: Championship Edition 2 review Minit ($10 / £8) "Minit's lives might only last 60 seconds, but its extremely well-thought-out world design and engrossing loop of progress make it a curse-filled adventure that is worth dying the world over for. Its throwback to classic visuals aren't done for aesthetic alone, as none of its gameplay systems scream antiquity. It's a slickly presented adventure that continually manages to surprise you with every new area you uncover or item you procure, pushing you to pick away at its seams to uncover every drop of what it has to offer. With a delightful ending and more promised after its first run of credits, Minit is far more than just a collection of seconds." -- Alessandro Barbosa Read our Minit review N++ ($15 / £13.49) "[T]he purity of N++ is still its greatest appeal, a stripped-down representation of the skills that many gamers have come to know as innate, given free reign in some of the best level design ideas in the industry. N++ may represent an 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' sort of expansion, but the exhilaration that it continues to offer speaks to the idea that it may have been perfect to begin with." -- Justin Clark Read our N++ review N++ represents the latest and greatest version of the stellar platforming series, packing together a positively massive number of levels--there are more than 4,000 in all, none of them procedurally generated. With local co-op support, online leaderboards, and a stellar soundtrack, N++ has a case as one of the best platformers you're find on PC, and it comes in at a budget price. Lumines Remastered ($15 / £13.49) "You wouldn't think a game about arranging colored blocks into rectangles could be this interesting and this engrossing. At the heart of Lumines is an ingenious design, which someone theoretically could have dreamed up years ago, but no one did until now. And at the soul of Lumines is something that you might call completely pure. You wouldn't expect a game like this to incorporate most all of what's good about gaming--the sights, the sounds, the trancelike experience, the option of competition--but Lumines does all that." -- Greg Kasavin (2005 review) Read our Lumines (2005) review Lumines Remastered, as the name suggests, is an HD remaster of the classic puzzle game for modern platforms. It also features some small adjustments, including a Trance Vibration option that lets you sync controllers to the music to "feel the bass across your body," as developer Enhance puts it. Those who buy it within two weeks of its June 26 launch will get some deluxe DLC for free, including wallpapers, a soundtrack, and avatars. SteamWorld Dig 2 ($20 / £15) The first SteamWorld Dig was most notable for its distinct blend of mining mechanics and Metroid-style exploration, but it ended right as it began to come into its own. Its sequel is twice as long and puts that added runtime to good use, as both the story and mechanics are given time to flourish. The game put you in control of a steambot named Dorothy searching for her missing friend, Rusty--the protagonist of the first game. There's a surprising sense of momentum that runs through the adventure; it's as if developer Image & Form sifted the original in a pan, removing its redundancies while expanding upon what made mining treasure and exploring so fun in the first place. The result is a brilliant and varied evolution of the first game that not only expands upon its hybrid formula but presents it in its best light. Where the first game was a diamond in the rough, SteamWorld Dig 2 is a polished jewel. | Matt Espineli Read our SteamWorld Dig 2 review Crypt of the NecroDancer ($15 / £10.99) Roguelikes (or at least roguelike elements) have been one of the most popular trends in gaming over the past handful of years, but few have taken as interesting of an approach to the genre as Crypt of the NecroDancer. It tasks players with navigating a dungeon to the beat of the music. Rather than simply move in the direction you wish or attack the enemy that's in your path, you and your enemies' actions are tied directly to the (always excellent) soundtrack. It's essential that you always be doing something--not taking an action at the next beat resets your combo, meaning you'll earn less gold or deal less damage, depending on the items you've acquired. Particularly as the music becomes more fast-paced, this lends a real sense of tension and excitement to every moment: you need to constantly be considering your next action while accounting for how nearby enemies will react to your movements. It's an experience with few points of comparison, but it's nonetheless one that you'll certainly want to try. | Chris Pereira Read our Crypt of the NecroDancer review Inside ($20 / £15) Playdead games won the admiration of its now-large audience when it released Limbo, a slow-paced puzzle-platformer that relied heavily on the use of light and negative space. For the studio's follow-up, Inside, it delivered yet another somber world to explore. It presents a tale that unfolds effortlessly before your eyes as you advance from one scene to the next, with nary a word from any of its characters. Through the power of inference and suggestion, you realize the infiltration of a malicious organization and bear witness to its sinister deeds. Inside will test your ability to think creatively, but it's the narrative--and the way it's delivered--that makes it a game worth playing. Inside reinforces the notion that, sometimes, less is more. | Peter Brown Read our Inside review Thumper ($20 / £16) Although it's a game arguably best-suited for VR, Thumper is an incredible experience however you play it. It provides a unique blend of rhythm-based gameplay and action--what the developer calls "rhythm violence"--that provides a far more intense version of the basic mechanics you see in other rhythm games. With an incredible soundtrack and levels well-suited to chasing high scores, Thumper is a game with the potential to stick around in your recently played section for a long time. | Chris Pereira Read our Thumper review Thimbleweed Park ($20 / £15) Point-and-click adventure games have experienced something of a renaissance in recent years, and Thimbleweed Park--from adventure game legends Ron Gilbert and Gary Winnick--is a prime example. The X-Files-inspired journey puts you in the role of two FBI agents that bear more than a passing resemblance to the classic TV show as you relive the glory days of adventure games. While it's also available on console (including Switch, where it's portable), playing on PC means getting the ideal control scheme of a mouse and keyboard. | Chris Pereira Read our Thimbleweed Park Jamestown+ ($10 / £7) Vertical arcade shoot-em-ups typically deal with far-flung futures where an ace pilot is defending Earth from a swarm of technologically advanced aliens. By taking place in an alternate timeline where Mars was colonized by England in the 17th Century, Jamestown immediately sets itself apart from its peers. The unique, tongue-in-cheek setting goes a long way to make the game enjoyable, but it's the excellent gameplay that makes Jamestown easy to recommend. You have multiple attack ships to choose from, each with their own weapon loadouts and special abilities. They are easy to control and feel distinct enough that you won't mind replaying levels to extend your time with the game, all the while combating cleverly constructed swarms of enemy ships that gradually escalate from level to level. It's not as punishing as most games in its genre, but the progress you make as you inch your way towards the conclusion feels rewarding nonetheless. | Peter Brown Read our Jamestown review Pyre ($20 / £15) Pyre, the latest from Supergiant Games, diverges from the action RPG gameplay the studio is known for. The fantastical, hand-painted art by Jen Zee returns. A western, electronic, trip-hop fusion soundtrack from Darren Korb also makes a comeback. But instead of controlling a single protagonist who destroys the enemies in their path in search of answers, Pyre revolves around a mystical sport that's played in an underworld populated by those who've been exiled from the normal world. You are The Reader, found in Purgatory (where reading is forbidden) by a band of exiles who befriend you. The Rites are rituals of sport that determine your worth, and this is where the meat of the gameplay happens. In a Rite, you assemble a team of three from a pool of allies you meet along the way. You face another team of three and fight for the single orb placed in the contained arena with the objective of dunking or shooting the orb into the other team's goal (or Pyre). Only one player from each team can move at any given moment. Each type of player has a varied skillset that can make the sport easier, depending on your playstyle. It sounds like a bit much at first, but once you get a hang of the flow, there's just nothing quite like it. Many have described it as Rocket League meets Dota meets Transistor. Outside of sick orb dunks is the intriguing visual novel-style story about sacrifice and the ties that bind. | Michael Higham Read our Pyre review Transistor ($20 / £15) Transistor, the follow-up to Bastion, would take many of the striking features of that game (like the hand-painted art style, for one) but twist them for a sci-fi, cyberpunk tale. Red was a singer who had her voice physically stolen in an attack on the city of Cloudbank, and she's the one you control in this unique isometric action RPG. The Transistor, a sword-like weapon that killed a man in the attack, becomes Red's tool for fighting back against an army of robots known as The Process, controlled by an evil collective known as The Camerata. Yes, it has a lot going on, but that's how it is with Supergiant's games. The Transistor glows and speaks; it trapped the consciousness and voice of the man it was used to kill, which means this dead man becomes Red's companion throughout the game, similar to the narrator in Bastion (also voiced by Logan Cunningham). What sets Transistor apart is that it incorporates a layer of strategy on top of the action RPG gameplay. There are countless permutations to Red's movesets since each individual move, or functions, can be mixed with another to create an attack which can be used to make short work of enemies that took over your neon-lit city. You also get to pause the action for a limited timeframe to craft a plan of attack and come up with clever ways to string together functions. Not only does Transistor's soundtrack stand out for its folk-tinged electronica, but it's the focal point for characterization and acts as a driving force from start to finish. Music is at the forefront and Darren Korb's vision for complementing the futuristic world is fully realized, which makes Transistor an absolute joy to play. | Michael Higham Read our Transistor review Bastion ($15 / £10.99) Supergiant Games' debut, Bastion, set the stage for everything else the developer created. This isometric action RPG tells a gripping story of a world destroyed by a catastrophic event referred to as The Calamity in the city of Caelondia. You control Bastion's protagonist, The Kid, who is led by the charismatic narrator named Rucks in a journey to piece the city back together. Very few survivors are left, and hostile monsters litter Caelondia, which is the impetus to put a varied arsenal of melee and projectile weapons to use. The Bastion acts as a sort of home base that slowly comes together as you progress and collect cores at the end of each level. Rucks' deep, instantly recognizable voice (that of Logan Cunningham) adds a level of grandeur to the story that's superbly supported by a truly remarkable soundtrack (by Darren Korb) that's vaguely Celtic, Western, and trip-hop all at the same time. Bastion's fantastical hand-painted art style (by Jen Zee) breathes life into a world nearly devoid of it, torn apart by a conflict of different cultures. These elements came to be staples of Supergiant's work, and Bastion is still a sterling example of the team's ability to craft a game that's both fun and heartfelt. | Michael Higham Read our Bastion review Shovel Knight ($9.99-$24.99 / £6.69-£19) This is admittedly a bit of a cheat, as you're best off buying Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove, which includes all three of the campaigns released so far (and more content to come) for $25. But just $10 will get you a single campaign which is more than worth the price of entry. Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment puts you in the shoes of one of the main game's antagonists, Specter Knight, as he takes his own unique journey through the same levels featured in the original game. As with Plague Knight's campaign, the unique mechanics at play here (like the dash attack) make for a much different experience. You would be best-served by starting with the base Shovel Knight campaign, but whichever version you play, you'll be treated to a modern take on retro platformers that bests many of the classics it draws inspiration from. | Chris Pereira Read our Shovel Knight review Read our Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment review Celeste ($20/£15) Celeste may look like another pixelated platformer with a youthful protagonist, but it quickly transforms into a brutal, tightly orchestrated gauntlet of death that only the best players can master. It challenges you to traverse spike-lined caverns with a modest selection of skills, with alternate pathways that push your mettle even further as you strive to acquire every last hidden item. You will die hundreds of times, but with quick restarts and a catchy soundtrack, there's never any downtime to wallow in defeat, only a new opportunity to show the game what you're made of. The action and difficulty curve are accompanied by a surprisingly engaging story that adds just the right amount of context to make your arduous journey feel justified, and to solidify Celeste as one of the biggest surprises so far of 2018. | Peter Brown Read our Celeste review Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ($20 / £25) You may have heard that Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, the final Metal Gear game to feature the involvement of series creator Hideo Kojima, has flaws. The last chunk of the game involves replaying earlier missions with small tweaks, and certain late-game story content was consigned to a special edition bonus feature. Despite all of that, The Phantom Pain stands as a seminal example of what an open-world action game can be. While still retaining much of what makes a Metal Gear game so distinct, it presents players with a vast open world and the ability to tackle its challenges in many, many ways. The mechanics of Ground Zeroes have been fine-tuned, and you can leverage them in a multitude of ways as you take part in the game's consistently excellent, thrilling missions. Just as enjoyable are the emergent hijinks you'll encounter along the way, and all of this is made better by the consistent progression of building up your own personal army. Although it's undoubtedly an experience best played after playing making your way through the prior games, The Phantom Pain is a game that everyone should ultimately try. It holds up now, even after a few years; all that's changed is the price tag. | Chris Pereira Read our Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain review Iconoclasts ($20 / £17.49) There's no shortage of Metroidvania titles out there, but Iconoclasts stands tall as much more than a simple game about exploring the world while solving puzzles and fighting bosses. Sure, you swing a wrench that can interact with objects and whack enemies over the head, but the magic of this game goes far deeper than the tools at your disposal. Iconoclasts is a story about conflict: science vs. religion, nature vs. technology, old vs. young. And that serves as an incredible backdrop for dynamic characters that extend far beyond their 16-bit look. It's worth playing just to see where they--and you, as the mechanic Robin--end up. | Tony Wilson Read our Iconoclasts review Overcooked ($17 / £13) Overcooked is like a Mario Party mini-game blown up into its own standalone experience in the best way possible. It's a game that becomes exponentially better when played with at least one other person. What starts out as a relatively tame game where you help each other chop some vegetables and get them served on a plate becomes a frantic rush to put out fires, get ingredients distributed between two moving vehicles, and other ridiculous scenarios. | Chris Pereira Read our Overcooked review Undertale ($10 / £7) Undertale watches you. It knows you through your actions. You don't have to hurt anyone, but you can hurt everyone. The consequences are hardly laid bare, but they are always alluded to in this retro-style RPG by independent developer Toby Fox. Undertale is both a culmination of the most chilling creepypasta and the most adorable, lovable characters you could imagine. It's all wrapped into a throwback turn-based RPG that incorporates dialogue trees in combat with elements of the bullet hell style for its combat. One of Undertale's greatest achievements is its ability to portray emotion and frame scenes through writing and an old-school art style. However, the most impactful piece of the puzzle is music: Its soundtrack evokes such a strong emotional response that very few games capture. The cozy, heartwarming jingle that plays in Snowdin town makes you wish you could chill at the local bar Grillby's with its diverse community of monsters. Papyrus' theme is equal parts silly and catchy, perfectly encapsulating the character himself. Hotland's tense, foreboding rhythm gets an electronic remix in a later stage that empowers you to push forward. The list goes on, but the point is that Undertale's masterful use of music becomes inseparable from the story it tells. It's a sort of love letter to Earthbound, but Toby Fox crafted a game that should be respected in its own right. Very few games evoke heartbreak, terror, and joy as powerfully as Undertale in such a short period of time; and in that regard, it's one of the best independent games ever made. | Michael Higham Read our Undertale review Axiom Verge ($20 / £15) Axiom Verge is another take on the Metroidvania style, but it distinguishes itself through its wide variety of weapons and tools--most notably, the Address Disruptor, which affects the environment and each enemy type in different ways. It's also a game with an impressive sense of scale and no shortage of secrets to uncover, encouraging multiple playthroughs. Add in an excellent soundtrack and tantalizing story, and there's a lot to like here. | Chris Pereira Read our Axiom Verge review Fez ($10 / £7) Despite being over six years old, Fez is still worth playing today. While it initially presents itself as a 2D game, it quickly reveals a third dimension and unfolds into something truly special as a result. You can rotate the game's seemingly 2D environments in 90-degree increments, which allows you to bring elements from the background into the foreground, often to reveal a hidden path. It's a tricky system to wrap your head around at first, but with a simple selection of puzzles to get you going, you can pick it up in no time. From this point on, Fez pushes you to contort your problem-solving techniques as it escalates to truly complex brain teasers that introduce cryptic symbols to match the ever-more-mysterious atmosphere. It's one of the few truly unique games around, and with the sequel cancelled long ago, it seems that will be the case for the foreseeable future. | Peter Brown Read our Fez review Sonic Mania ($20 / £15) Created by members of the Sonic fan-hack community under Sega's watch, Sonic Mania exudes passion and reverence in its recreation of nostalgic visuals, sounds, and level designs. But the game isn't content with senselessly regurgitating the past; rather, it expands upon the familiar with new ideas of its own and delivers plenty of inventive concepts that diversify and build upon the series' fast-paced level design. Sonic Mania is smart and interpretive in its approach, leveraging the strengths of its design and visuals to craft not only the best Sonic game ever made, but an amazing platforming experience overall. If you've enjoyed Sonic at any point in your life, you owe it to yourself to play Sonic Mania. And even if you're not a longtime fan, the fast-paced platforming on display is a fantastic introduction to Sega's beloved blue blur. | Matt Espineli Read our Sonic Mania review The Sexy Brutale ($20 / £15) The Sexy Brutale is a quirky little puzzle game co-developed by Tequila Works, the studio behind beautiful adventure game Rime. Its essentially Groundhog Day: The Game--you play through the same day over and over, but with each runthrough you learn more about the creepy mansion you find yourself in. After seeing one character shoot another, you might go and find the gun and prevent the bloody murder by replacing real bullets with blanks. A number of these murders are interconnected--solving one puzzle might prevent one murder, but that could change another branch of time elsewhere in the house. There's no way of preventing every murder in one go, but discovering and tinkering with the different timelines is where the fun lies. Suffice it to say, we've played it over and over again--groundhog day indeed. | Matt Espineli Read our The Sexy Brutale review Enter the Gungeon -- $15 / £11 Being a roguelike-style shooter, Enter the Gungeon naturally draws comparisons to games like The Binding of Isaac and Nuclear Throne. And while that does offer a decent starting point for understanding what to expect, Enter the Gungeon manages to rise above being a pale imitator. It feels fantastic, with a dodge-roll ability that allows you to satisfyingly evade damage with a well-timed use. There are ridiculous weapons, such as those that fire bees or a gun that shoots guns which themselves fire bullets. The well-crafted procedurally generated environments help to keep each run feeling fresh, as do the wide variety of items and secrets to uncover along the way. And co-op support makes for an especially fun, chaotic experience (although it's unfortunate that the second player isn't able to play as the different characters that the main player has access to). The entire game is also overflowing with personality and color, making for an experience that is as fun to look at as is to play. | Chris Pereira Read our Enter the Gungeon review Stardew Valley -- $15 / £11 Hit farming sim Stardew Valley has made its way to consoles with very few compromises, outside of the PC version's access to mods. Regardless of platform, it's an excellent take on the Harvest Moon formula, with a laid-back small-town atmosphere, tons of work to do, and bachelors and bachelorettes to date. But the valley also has its mysteries, and the added intrigue makes it easy to pick up, hard to put down, and rewarding day after day. Even though it has nothing to do with the Harvest Moon franchise, it's easily the best "Harvest Moon" game in years. | Kallie Plagge Read our Stardew Valley review Battle Chef Brigade ($20 / £15.49) Battle Chef Brigade puts you in control of an aspiring young chef named Mina as she fights to become the best cook in the land. But this isn't your typical cooking game; rather than choose from pre-set ingredients in front of you to make a simple dish, you actually have to hunt and gather them yourself, making use of Devil May Cry-like battle system to eliminate them in the wild. You then have to take what you gather back to your kitchen, throw it in a pot, and cook it in a match three mini-game. Frame this within an Iron Chef-like cook off where the clock is ticking against you and you'll have an idea of what you're getting into. The juxtaposition between the two core mechanics of hunting and cooking make for a tense, fast-paced experience that's both memorable and fulfilling. | Matt Espineli Furi ($20 / £15) Fans of Japanese action games will instantly love Furi, as it utilizes a twitch-based combat similar to fan-favorite games in the genre, like Devil May Cry and Bayonetta. Its premise is simple: you play as a nameless silver-haired swordsman who must fight his way out of imprisonment, facing off against a gauntlet of deadly bosses. Aside from its striking presentation, Furi's most memorable quality is its fast and frenetic combat, which is punchy, nuanced, and elegantly simple. It combines mechanics from both hack-and-slash games and shoot 'em ups, challenging you to handle switching between gameplay styles at a moment's notice in the midst of a fight. If you're a sucker for challenging action games, Furi should be at the top of your list for $20 games to buy. | Matt Espineli Read our Furi review Retro City Rampage DX ($15 / £11) A throwback GTA Online mode aside, Grand Theft Auto has long since moved on from the classic top-down perspective of its earliest games. Retro City Rampage carries on that legacy, offering an open-world crime game in 8-bit style. What could have easily been a mere GTA clone, however, is distinguished with copious pop culture references and a distinctly arcade-style feel to its gameplay. This DX edition offers additional content not seen in the original version of the game. -- Chris Pereira Read our Retro City Rampage review West of Loathing ($11 / £8) "West of Loathing's focus on maintaining a flexible, open-ended nature and lighthearted, humorous feel keeps you engaged in what feels like an imaginative pen-and-paper Dungeons and Dragons campaign, led by a game master whose only goal is to make sure you're laughing and having a fun time. West of Loathing's visuals are monochromatic, but there's enjoyable comedy painted between every line, a pitch-perfect Spaghetti Western soundtrack, and a full spectrum of role-playing possibilities to choose from that make it a consistently enjoyable madcap cowboy jaunt." -- Edmond Tran Read our West of Loathing review Recent Articles: Best Nintendo Switch Games You Can Buy For Cheap (June 2018 Update) Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: 15 Characters We Want Added To The Roster 15 Games That Were Significantly Better Than Expected You are receiving this email because you opted in at our website. https://Gamefeed.us10.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=b01828b2bfdd2acf079c9de40&id=55a5ab23e0&e=96854223cb&c=a805de340c Gamefeed https://Gamefeed.us10.list-manage.com/profile?u=b01828b2bfdd2acf079c9de40&id=55a5ab23e0&e=96854223cb demo-mailchimp-gamefeed15032015@mailcatch.com VCard: Gamefeed Gamefeed Mumbai, Mh 400001 Add us to your address book