New Game Network

• PS4
• 74%
• Canada

NHL 19 offers an enjoyable offline hockey simulation, with highly customizable franchise and offbeat modes. Online, the new World of CHEL tilts the ice to the casual side of things, which not everyone will appreciate. Various technical issues also linger, so this year's edition is best suited for fans of single player.

• PS4
• 75%
• Canada

It’s nice to see NBA 2K19 working to get back to being a powerhouse franchise. This year’s MyCareer mode is titled The Way Back, and it feels appropriate for this latest entry - the first step in climbing its way back to being the best.

• XONE
• 70%
• Canada

Transference is an enjoyable thriller that retains its effectiveness in a non-VR setting. Despite gameplay simplicity and underutilized live-action videos, the strong atmosphere and a few memorable scenes help this sci-fi adventure leave a lasting mark.

• PC
• 67%
• Canada

There are a few issues holding The King's Bird back from being a true standout hit, but those who like their platformers to be a bit avant-garde, should be able to appreciate this virtual ride, along with speed run enthusiasts.

• PC
• 80%
• Canada

While not a massive shakeup to a long dormant genre, Two Point Hospital is a wonderfully crafted romp through nostalgia and hilarity. It may be too easy, but it is always entertaining and lays the foundation for something more.

• PC
• 73%
• Canada

Donut County isn't going to challenge your wits, but it does provide a relaxing experience that's bound to make you laugh.

• PC
• 84%
• Canada

Dead Cells is a roguelike that kicks things into gear with a fast pace, satisfying combat, and persistent upgrades that keep you playing long after you said you'd stop.

• XONE
• 61%
• Canada

If you're an absolute die-hard, I guess you’ve already picked up Madden NFL 19, but otherwise I'd warn you to hold off and continue playing last year's version. There's nothing special about this year's edition, and with all of the technical issues, it's a major bummer.

• XONE
• 66%
• Canada

As long as you have good company, Strange Brigade is an expedition worth undertaking. However, that doesn’t excuse the many issues the title has. The game would have benefited from refinements both to the aiming system, as well as puzzle design. Still, this cadaver-blasting, treasure looting adventure is an enjoyable enough reason to gather a few friends together for, as long as you know what you’re getting into.

• PS4
• 74%
• Canada

PES 2019 makes minor tweaks to the formula, mostly for the better, and still strives to offer its own take on soccer simulation. However, that alone is not enough to overcome the obvious weak spots that seem to grow more noticeable year after year.

• XONE
• 59%
• Canada

We Happy Few contains moments of enjoyment and artistic brilliance, but they are short lived, and - like a Joy withdrawal - the eventual comedown of the clunky, burdensome reality of the gameplay seeps in. A classic case of style over substance.

• PC
• 79%
• Canada

Less a Gaiden successor and more a general love-letter to its look and style, The Messenger allows fans to hop gleefully between cheery gaming memories without being bound by the rigid controls and punishing precision of a prior era, while somehow managing to remain entirely accessible to newcomers as a fun, unmistakeably wholehearted 2D platformer.

• PC
• 80%
• Canada

The addition of proper online multiplayer and the PGA Tour career mode make The Golf Club 2019 a meaningful improvement over its already impressive predecessor, even if the initial learning curve is on steeper side and the visual presentation remains stuck in the past.

• PS4
• 85%
• Canada

Mechanically, Yakuza Kiwami 2 is the best offering in the entire series. With the abundance of fun distractions, quirky side stories, break-neck and brutal combat, and the franchise's signature dark, if sometimes convoluted story, newcomers and veterans are in for a real treat.

• PS4
• 74%
• Canada

Guacamelee! 2 is more of the same. That's not a bad thing necessarily, and with a funny new story, those who have enjoyed Juan's previous adventure will likely be left smiling. But if you’re new to the franchise, I'd still recommend starting with the original game before deciding if the sequel is worth picking up.

• PS4
• 73%
• Canada

Fans of the story-driven adventure game will likely find parallels with previous successes like Life is Strange and SOMA, though State of Mind’s reductive puzzles and constant tone fail to match the level of personality in either. This said, the developers are committed to exploring transhumanism in relation to very pertinent contemporary concerns, and ensure there’s enough sci-fi fluff to distract from the simplistic gameplay structure.

• SWITCH
• 67%
• Canada

If you’re just here for the combat and don’t mind a bad story, or if you’re looking to soak up the nostalgia of the golden age of the genre for hours on-end, there might be enough here to justify a purchase. It was perhaps too much to expect that Octopath Traveler would compete with the JRPG greats, as sadly it misses the mark in understanding the nuances of what made those titles so iconic.

• PC
• 78%
• Canada

With an unrelenting sense of character, Chasm successfully works the Metroid formula into a procedurally-generated fantasy platformer, producing an intricate, challenging and enduring treasure hunt that more than justifies its five-year development.