Cat Quest II is pretty much more of the same you experienced in the first game. It’s a winning formula though, so that’s not a bad thing just yet, but could be in future entries to the series.

Knights and Bikes is a great and a beautiful way to kill a handful of hours with a friend. You can play solo but as a game with such a heavy focus on friendship, it only seems right to have a friend by your side, either physically or virtually, to go on a colorful adventure and deal with some real life heavy subjects.

If video games were cars, NHL 20 would be a modest update to last year’s model that looks shinier while functioning and operating better as a whole. Video games are not cars, however, and the lack of new gameplay modes, as well as core functions remaining sadly untouched, hold it back from greatness.

Gears 5 gives a lot of content for players to chew on. The campaign is by far the best part of this meal because of the deep character-driven story and the bombshell decision made near the end of the game. Multiplayer fans will not be disappointed with the updated versions of Horde and Versus. On the other hand, Escape feels out of place, but still brings fun and intuitive map building.

Monster Hunter World was already loads of fun and Iceborne just adds more of it, and more to do. If you sunk at least 60 hours into the base game, it would be a disservice to not get Iceborne. Even for those who never played Monster Hunter World but are on the fence about it, there is no better time than now to jump into the game (unless you’re on Steam and have to wait four more months).

Torchlight II offers the same dungeon hacking, loot-acquiring thrills of a big-budget Diablo at a fraction of the price without a paralyzing amount of content. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys this style of game. It's a great fit for the Switch's portability.

Catherine: Full Body, like a full-bodied wine, is robust in content and tells a story rich in complexity. Unlike a fine wine, however, it can go sour quite quickly if poured incorrectly, as its more questionable notes can be a mitigating factor in fully appreciating its capabilities.

Laying an excellent foundation for a new IP, Control features a well-crafted world that ignites the imagination. It’s dark, twisted, and a little bit weird in the best way possible.

If you are a fan of top-down roguelike dungeon crawlers, keep RAD on your radar. Bonus points if you like this kind of 80s neon aesthetic and the world-building it provides. It’s a good choice for those who just want a quick gaming session—or a long one if you really want it.

Simply put, Madden NFL 20 just isn’t all that enjoyable as a whole. Gameplay still has unfixed issues that have been prevalent for years and Franchise is still lacking the complete overhaul and player control it’s needed for years. Face of the Franchise is a total flop, serving as more proof that it’s time for EA to give up cinematic sports stories. Sure, Ultimate Team got some needed improvements and some X-Factors are fun to mess around with – but this year is more proof than ever that Madden needs a serious overhaul in nearly every aspect.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a near-perfect game that will be remembered for many years to come. Featuring well-crafted gameplay, an incredible cast of characters, and countless hours of content, it is a love letter to the veterans and a great starting point for newcomers who are looking to get into the series.

Ripe for narrative potential, Wolfenstein: Youngblood is a brilliant concept overwrought with unnecessarily padded questing, turning a winning linear FPS formula into an ARPG grind fest.

It would have been nice to see Dragon Quest Builders 2 have a greater emphasis on non-linear progression or a less initially sparse world, but it successfully iterates on the original by streamlining its systems and mechanics without trivializing them, creating an endlessly endearing game brimming with simple, unadulterated pleasures.

Samurai Shodown does the near-impossible task of blending old and new into an incredibly fun, solid fighting game package.

Aside from its occasionally imprecise aiming and uncharacteristically restricting final moments, My Friend Pedro is a gorgeous amalgamation of the best portions of many wildly different genres.

Blood & Truth from SIE London Studio sets out to put the player in the starring role of an action movie by combining a polished, set-piece driven first person shooter campaign with the immersive qualities of virtual reality.

What you get with Team Sonic Racing is what you honestly better than you might expect from any modern game bearing the Sonic moniker. It’s a flawed but mostly competent kart racer that is budget priced and might be fine for kids who like the blue hedgehog and his furry friends.

Even though the puzzles and enemy encounters don’t deviate much from their fundamental structures, there are enough variations to support a frightening yet alluring world where every corner leads to fresh, captivating possibilities.

BOXBOY! + BOXGIRL! is a solid puzzle platformer, especially if you have that itch for short and on-the-go gaming sessions.

Like the world it’s set in, Days Gone is a game that’s a little rough around the edges. Yet it persists, taking characters that are easy to write off and fills them with a surprising amount of heart.

Though lacking the polish you see in AAA open-world RPGs, Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen boasts an incredibly deep class and a battle system that makes for potentially dozens of hours of fun.

A wonderfully heartfelt passage to classic cartoons and rough-and-tumble difficult video games of the past, Cuphead is a can’t miss title on the Nintendo Switch.

Decades after paving the way for later quirky, comedic adventure games with anime influences, the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy brings the minimal updates needed to touch up an enchanting, silly and timeless collection.

Yoshi’s Crafted World never pushes back on the player, squandering its charm through a lack of reward or challenge. Even if you’re looking to do nothing other than kick back with a relaxing game, it’s hard to feel motivated enough to return to. Yet it remains mechanically pleasant and is an easy recommendation to anyone with young children.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is not the most polished or accessible title on the market, but it’s certainly one of the most well-executed and satisfying gaming experiences I’ve ever had the chance to play. If you have dropped this game or are on the fence about trying it due to its difficulty, I implore you to give it a chance and really take your time with it. It’s well worth the effort.

Though it introduces new ideas and perspectives to players, the final episode of The Walking Dead drags on a bit too long in order to bring Clementine’s seven-year journey to a close.

MLB The Show 19 still offers some fun baseball gameplay that’s both engaging to learn and rewarding to master, yet it isn’t too different from what’s come before.

Out of the Park Baseball 20 is one of deepest baseball games I’ve played. From the power of Live Start and historical teams to the creativity of Perfect Team 2.0, the game is a solid, all-around sports strategical gem. Combine the rich depth and pre-game control with the smooth looking gameplay, and Out of the Park Baseball 20 is a base hit in the gap for strategy enthusiasts.

On the surface, Tropico 6 feels like a marked improvement over its predecessor, but some underlying balance and UI issues hold it back from being truly great. It’s unlikely to be the shining beacon of the series, but it still manages to provide plenty of fun alongside its great visuals.

One Piece: World Seeker can certainly offer serious fans of the franchise something with its resplendent visuals and a solid story, but the lack of polish and often unpleasant gameplay make it a poor attempt at capturing the magic of the popular anime.

An interesting concept that falls apart in its execution, Truberbrook is an amalgamation of disappointments.

Devil May Cry 5 reintroduces players to the core values of peak action-adventure gaming, being equally as fun as it is charismatic. Despite a fairly short story that fails to engage at times, diverse gameplay, stunning visuals, and a gorgeous art style make up the difference to make this one of the best gaming experiences early on in 2019.

Anthem has some good ideas and excellent combat, but the current state of the game leaves a lot to be desired.

Dead or Alive 6 is certainly a looker; make no mistake about that. It’s even really fun to play at times, and anyone from season veterans to button-mashers can get in on the action with no problem at all. But everything else about the game makes it difficult to recommend unless a free-to-play version launches down the line.

Toejam and Earl: Back in the Groove does offer a lot of the same fun found in the original, but a meaner edge and some annoying changes keep it from surpassing its still easily available predecessor.

Jump Force feels more like a game you’d watch rather than own. For Shōnen Jump’s 50th anniversary celebration, it’s lacking in crucial areas.

Crackdown 3 is a severely outdated sandbox title that neither pushes boundaries or evolves itself in any way. While it puts an emphasis on gameplay, the game does the absolute bare minimum to provide any entertainment for the player and, instead, creates a 20-hour-long headache.

Kingdom Hearts III is a welcome return of the Disney action-RPG epic and the best game in the series to date, making you really want to see the next chapter in the series as soon as possible.

A fantastically gripping experience, Slay the Spire grabs you in with its ever-changing deck-building mechanics and presents you with a complex challenge to solve. Its core dynamic gameplay loop begs for experimentation and discovery, leading to thousands of possibilities to achieve victory and promising hundreds of hours of awesome, thrilling gameplay.

In every conceivable way, Resident Evil 2 sets the new standard by which the series should be judged going forward.

Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes has some fun references for longtime Suda 51 fans but ultimately is a merely okay top-down action game dripping with missed potential promised by its premise.

The Walking Dead: The Final Season episode 3 carries over Telltale Games’ swan song well with a deeply emotional, complex story of grief and redemption. Despite an overreliance on callbacks and technical issues, Skybound Games brought the series back to focus after certain doom, setting up a compelling and gripping finale.

Artifact is one of the most polished digital card games available. The game’s multi-lane mechanics bring MOBA elements into card game form, providing challenging strategic gameplay. Valve still has a way to go to prove Artifact’s long-term viability though due to its lack of a progression system and ranked modes.

Just Cause 4 has more of the same destruction and mayhem the series is known for, but the game has a litany of technical issues and empty mechanics that make it impossible to recommend.

Pokemon Let’s Go is one part nostalgia trip, and other part re-imagined classic. It’s familiar enough for those who have previously adventured through Kanto but contains some new additions to keep them busy and engaged even after the main adventure ends.

Pokemon Let’s Go is one part nostalgia trip, and other part re-imagined classic. It’s familiar enough for those who have previously adventured through Kanto but contains some new additions to keep them busy and engaged even after the main adventure ends.

In the best way possible, Darksiders III is a game that feels restrained in its design. Its game structure, systems, and mechanics are all incredibly lean, providing just enough depth while also avoiding getting bogged down by bloat.

After the first few hours of Fallout 76, you can expect a lot of the same mission types over and over again. Playing with friends is ideal, but it cannot overcome the constant repetition. Base-building and undiscovered locations serve to be the best portions of this radioactive mess.

Hitman 2 is a new coat of paint and an updated model of the previous year’s racing car. Sure, it may look similar to its predecessor, but it is improved in almost every facet of production, allowing the player to marvel in its familiar excellence.

Gunplay, a revamped squad system, interesting war stories, and superb maps make Battlefield V a great game to enjoy. However, the lack of content across the entire game at launch weakens the appeal, which ultimately lessens the overall experience.

It’s almost too easy to get lost in the game and its absolute beauty, something that feels odd to even say when talking about a Tetris game. Tetris Effect is, without a doubt, stunning and if you own a PSVR unit, it begs to be played in VR.

Despite showing signs of a strong vision, undercooked mechanics and a nonsensical story propel The Quiet Man to miss the mark in just about every way, causing its best ideas to deteriorate into forgettable gimmicks.

Red Dead Redemption 2‘s attention to detail, engaging storytelling and beautiful graphics make it a must-play game. Despite some clunky control schemes and questionable new features, Red Dead Redemption 2 was a wonderful experience that offered a nice change of pace that separates itself from other open world games.

What started out as a promising, unnerving recreation of a tabletop RPG became a rushed, unfocused mess racing to the finish line that leaves players’ input almost meaningless. Call of Cthulhu is a dressed-up horror walking simulator that pitched itself on misleading terms, bungling its story while being light on gameplay or its RPG roots.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is a bold step for the future of the franchise. Despite lacking a traditional story campaign, there’s no shortage of entertainment or value in this year’s installment of the popular first-person shooter franchise, which finally puts multiplayer front-and-center where it should be.

Combining a hearty single-player campaign with interesting new combat mechanics, decent netplay and a character creator that’s honestly worth the price of admission alone, Soulcalibur VI takes its rightful place on the stage of history as one of the best fighters out right now.

The World Ends With You: Final Remix brings a cult Nintendo DS classic to a modern platform that should be a good fit, but some poor choices in how the combat is handled bring down the experience and actually makes it the inferior version.

Despite solid gameplay, multiple minor errors and frustrations hold Party Hard 2 back from true greatness.

The Jackbox Party Pack 5 is one of the most adventurous party game collections yet, concocting interesting gameplay ideas and challenging its players to put their best self forward in front of friends and online audiences. With the exception of one glaring misstep, Jackbox Games continues to innovate and build upon their winning formula.

Torna the Golden Country could’ve been a welcome expansion with some insight into the past of several key characters and a welcome twist on combat. However, the new “community level” mechanic that is forced upon you makes a good portion of it just a slog to get through.

Valkyria Chronicles 4 is arguably the high point of the series with great and varied tactical action and customization. However, its attempt at being a serious drama about the high cost of war on both sides is undercut by a ridiculous amount of gratuitous objectification.

Mega Man 11 is a must-play adventure for series fanatics, but not an essential adventure for everyone else. It's a paint-by-numbers experience that offers more of the same game content you've come to expect from over three decades with the Blue Bomber.

The Council episode 4, "Burning Bridges," took a big risk by becoming a different video game with different ideals. Deduction and dialogue were given less care than the need to double down on its more grandiose suggestions. As a result, my efforts to build a Louis de Richet worth a damn has eroded after a dozen hours in a matter of seconds. Burn it all down. I don't care what happens anymore.

Forza Horizon 4 is beautiful and exhilarating, with seamless multiplayer, compelling progression, and more cars than you know what to do with.

The Walking Dead: The Final Season episode 2 does well enough outside of its circumstance, but without the certainty of obtaining proper closure I cannot, in good consciousness, recommend supporting this episode as Clementine’s final chapter.

For those looking for a classic RPG adventure that offers dozens of hours of gameplay, Dragon Quest XI will fit the bill quite nicely. For anyone else, it’s weighed down by some weird legacy issues and just a bit too much of a “been there, done that” feel.

By revamping its multiplayer efforts and focusing it in a hub that promotes creative expression (both cosmetically and through gameplay preferences), NHL 19 marks the best representation of simulation hockey video games this generation.

Divinity: Original Sin 2 – Definitive Edition is a very touching game. It pulls at your heartstrings with its charm and pushes you headfirst into its world, slowly drawing you into its core. The extra polishing on display helps a shining star burn even brighter, as this game will offer players one of the greatest RPG experiences of all time the way it was meant to be played.

Shadow of Tomb Raider tells an outstanding coming of age story Lara Croft has so desperately needed to propel her into the next chapter.

Marvel's Spider-Man finally gives players the best opportunity to do whatever a spider can.

Strange Brigade stays close to Rebellion's third-person formula but doesn't add enough to it to be a truly great game. The pulpy, humor delivered with a wink and nudge saves the game from being a slog.

An emphatically triumphant farewell, Yakuza Kiwami 2 lives up to its “extreme” namesake. Its engrossing, dense, dark story is complemented with an engaging open world filled with wondrous activities littering its narrow streets. Taking the best parts of its franchise and stuffing it all into a rich, rewarding experience, minor game engine flaws cannot overshadow the dragon within.

Guacamelee 2 takes but never quite gives; it amps up the difficulty without making the necessary changes to keep the game interesting. The result is a test of patience rather than a test of skill.

The attention paid to solo players in MUT and some Franchise improvements are certainly noticeable and deserve credit. However, when the game is littered with a multitude of glitches, a weak story mode and no other big notable changes, it makes Madden’s price tag more difficult to justify.

With changes to its gameplay engine, combat, visual style and choice-driven narrative, The Walking Dead: The Final Season starts out on the right foot. Though there are moments that take you out of the immersive story, its gripping conclusion sets up what looks to be one of the franchise’s best season in years.

After a disappointing second salvo, The Council episode 3, “Ripples,” rebounds with full gusto. Bringing a narrative and gameplay balance, players are given a better picture at what the series aims to accomplish and keeps them hooked onto what happens next.

The Banner Saga 3 fails to deliver the complexity of choice some were hoping for, but the compromise allows for a deep narrative enhanced by intelligent combat additions, excellent art direction, and its melancholic soundtrack.

With Seasons, EA has delivered one of the most robust, complete expansions for The Sims 4.

Unfortunately, the tediousness of the game’s mechanics erases some of the magic of seeing your dinosaur park come to life.

If you are looking for a bit of light-hearted fun or are a big puzzle game fan, Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido might be a worthwhile investment for you. If you are looking for a deeply engrossing game that will pull you in for hours, maybe give it a miss.

Vampyr sports an interesting cast and a compelling morality tale with unexpected twists and turns, but it's horribly weighed down by performance issues, dull combat at best and a city that's a chore to traverse.

At times, Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection is a prime example of a compilation done right. Smooth gameplay and plethora of extra content are just a few button presses away. However, the lack of other features that have been in previous Street Fighter re-releases leaves a pretty large void. Combine that with shaky netcode, and suddenly the value of the entire package is diminished even further.

Runner3 builds upon its predecessors, and what it ends up delivering is a polished game that asks for precise maneuvers from its players. With a catchy soundtrack driven home by your every move, and vibrant visuals, fans of the series and genre will find a lot to love.

Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire makes improvements across the board, but perhaps not in the areas that matter most. Its scenes are great, its dialogue meaningful, but its grand scale seems to give a more fractured nature, while bugs and crashes can completely ruin immersion. It’s a game full of new ideas, but it feels like it needs another iteration to perfect them.

Little Witch Academia: Chamber of Time represents the show it is based on incredibly well when it comes to the look and the characters. That’s all it gets right, though, as the gameplay is just frustrating and tedious.

State of Decay 2‘s survival mechanics and combat are enjoyable at first, but quickly grow stale after repeating the same actions over and over. It has a few shining moments, but its execution is ultimately rather lackluster and shallow. The only true horror in this zombie survival game is its numerous technical issues.

Omensight‘s fluid combat and colorful cast of characters are the stars in this time-altering murder mystery. The beautiful art style and personality of the game is enough to overshadow some of the sketchy platforming and camera angles. But the game’s surprisingly linear progression left me yearning for more mystery solving than was provided.

Though interactions with noble aristocrats throughout the manor retain their charm, these moments are undercut by poor technical performance, disappointing pacing and an unfocused series of story beats. “Hide and Seek” flirts with squandering the series’ potential.

Death Road to Canada is a fun play after powering through the extreme learning curve, combining zombie survival and old arcade art.

A modern port through and through, Dragon’s Crown Pro offers a more visually and aurally excellent dungeon-crawling beat ’em up adventure that you’ll remember for what it exactly was five years ago.

Donkey Kong and his pals still bring the coolest 2D platforming adventure around, even as a port. Tropical Freeze is fun and challenging; Funky Kong makes it better by adding accessibility for younger, less experienced or outright busier people. Even discounting Funky, this is another perfect example of portability making an already-great game even easier to enjoy.

The Swords of Ditto is a colorful and charming little roguelite adventure that is just delightful to play. Outside of some reservations about the forced time limit restricting our exploration, the game is a lighthearted and fun time either alone or with a friend.

Jotun: Valhalla Edition is a welcome addition to the Nintendo Switch library that brings with it Nordic mythology, a gorgeous hand-drawn art style, and difficult boss fights. It’s great fun exploring the maps and figuring out a boss’ attacks, though the combat can become tedious on occasion.

I never would have imagined a multiplayer dating sim working, but boy, does Monster Prom work. It rests on a framework of superb character art and hilarious scenario writing, then goes several steps further to offer a challenging competitive experience and an addictive solo one.

Minit’s constant deaths are far from discouraging; they’re addicting. It’s far too easy to tell yourself “just one more try” in a world so densely packed with curiosities and no fluff. Minit is another wonderful reminder that you don’t need a million systems for a game to be great if you can do one novel idea very, very well.

Much like No Man’s Sky, Sea of Thieves has the foundation for a game that could be incredible. Unfortunately, it’s current state is more akin to something that should be a $20 Early Access title. The game is also most optimally played with friends, as randoms are typically hit or miss. Solo players probably shouldn’t even bother.

If you have even one friend who will come over to play this with you, Kirby Star Allies is worth a try. Though shallow on the puzzle platforming side, there’s enough going on with different friend combinations to make combat varied and enjoyable, especially once you turn up the difficulty post-game.

MLB The Show 18 is a must-buy game for baseball enthusiasts. And if you’re a casual fan simply looking to dip your toe in a baseball game this year, you probably won’t find anything better than MLB The Show 18.