Diablo IV represents a significant milestone for a series that is approaching its 30th anniversary. From what I have seen so far, it successfully modernizes the franchise and brings it up to par with other ARPGs. Once again, you’ll embark on a relentless journey through dungeons, honing your skills, optimizing your damage output, and improving your survival chances.

I started Unpacking mostly expecting an interesting puzzle game about item placement and ended up with a story and protagonist I cared about. The art is beautiful, the world detailed, and the ambient sound of simple things, like a refrigerator running, put you in the world. Beyond minor woes, Unpacking does everything you’d want in a puzzle game and then some.

I strongly recommend Monster Hunter Rise, but this isn’t World. It’s harder, less environmentally appealing, and more focused on the rivalry between the hunters and the monsters. Gaining the pieces to build that armor or make that weapon is sometimes a bit more of a grind as the RNG isn’t quite as good but the satisfaction as always is there and strong. But amazing combat and great rewards keep the fun moving, albeit very differently from its most recent predecessor.

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.

Minecraft Switch Edition is a strange animal, largely focused around a competent, if simplistic survival game and supplemented with worldbuilding that you can share with maybe one friend who also owns this edition of the game. Stripped of the game’s best aspects and with a limited amount of skin packs, much of Minecraft’s appeal is lost. Split-screen co-op and portability options do what they can to entice an audience, and may attract some eager to expand their Nintendo Switch library.

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.

For a game made by the same studio responsible for the previous two Bayonetta games, it’s strange how often Bayonetta 3 feels like a poorly made fan project. The story that has been built up has been thrown to the wayside to introduce a tired “multiverse” concept. All the confidence and character development has been completely scraped in favor of turning her into a loving motherly type character in constant need of saving. Wonky camera angles and visuals make it look like this game should have gone back into the over for another year. It’s playable and, at times, fun, but as part of a series, it’s quite possibly the weakest chapter.

The Zodiac Age retains the best parts of the PS2 original and improves on the game’s flaws. With enhanced visuals, a vastly improved job system licensing board, and the option to move at a faster speed, The Zodiac Age is the best way to experience Final Fantasy XII.

This is a fantastic remaster of a quirky game. Ghost Trick is one of the more unique puzzle experiences you’re likely to encounter and if you’re down for a murder mystery that’s focused more on the mystery and less on the murder, while also giving you a touch of fun supernatural tomfoolery, you’re in luck.

Sonic Mania brings Sonic and friends back to the series' 2D roots successfully but also reminds us of many of the issues with early 90s 2D platformers. Longtime Sonic fans will no doubt find some value here, but everyone else is better off playing more modern takes on the genre.

Whereas many AAA games have felt underwhelming lately, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was a total blast. It has great action alongside an epic journey, all within a lush and gorgeous world. The game could have felt like some Tomb Raider or Uncharted clone using Indy as a cheap way to earn sales… but Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was excellent to play and proved that Indy is still the king of the adventure genre.

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.

Whether played in VR or not, Resident Evil 7: biohazard is a thrilling game and it shouldn’t be missed. If you have the option to play the game with a PSVR, you should by all means do so. Regardless of how you play Resident Evil 7: biohazard, just be sure that you do because it is one of 2017’s finest releases and the constant stream of DLC keeps the nightmare alive.

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is the most immersive, intense, adrenaline-pumping, winner-take-all shooter of its time. Ushering forth a new era of Battle Royale gameplay, its technical qualms are the only thing standing in the way of the path to near perfection in its gunplay and survival-first gameplay.

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.

Story aside, Metroid: Samus Returns functions more as a new installment that brings the best bits of multiple Metroid games together. By offering tons of upgrade and weapon options alongside improved combat, the game is truly enjoyable.

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim excels at pretty much everything it attempts to do, and brings it all together very well. The story is brilliant and worth experiencing, while the combat is really where it is all at. If it were not for the lack of difficulty and over-reliance on time travel in the story, this may be the perfect game.

Obsidian takes the aging Bethesda open-world RPG formula and makes it feel fresh with an outer space setting, shorter length and incredibly sharp writing that should appeal to fans of that signature style of game and fun sci-fi adventures.

Starfield is a return to form for Bethesda Game Studios. Top-notch storytelling and a compelling narrative will have you eagerly jumping from planet to planet in hopes of discovering the next big mystery. While not without some bugs, the gameplay is among the most polished I've seen from the studio.

The PC version is undoubtedly the best way to play the game, even if it does come stuck with Denuvo. But great graphics options and optimization for mid-tier and up PCs will keep it relevant in the PC community for years to come.

With its continued focus on fast-paced bloodshed and the addition of some modern touches that help give it more depth, Doom: The Dark Ages is a seriously fun splatterfest that both franchise devotees and modern FPS gamers will love.

A beautifully atmospheric game of exploration that tasks you with climbing a structure of which the top cannot be seen from the ground, Jusant gives me the chill but thought provoking climbing experience I didn’t know I needed. It’s a fantastic game for the people who loved something like “Only Up” but died a little on a personal level every time they fell all the way back down. Jusant is a wonderfully unique experience with very well executed mechanics and I can’t recommend this enough.

Ys VIII abandons the sprawling, dramatic settings of other JRPGs for a restrained world and cast, then gives us every reason to fall in love with both. From combat to story to exploration to sound, Ys VIII offers subtle, but refreshing distinctions from the usual genre fare.

MLB The Show 17 takes smart, calculated approaches to improving its gameplay while expanding the Road to the Show Mode with its addition of an ongoing narrative. In an attempt to solidify an excellent baseball simulation experience, one with more control over minute details in all available gameplay modes, the development team builds upon a solid base.

I’m not a fan of the genre and despite my complaints, this game’s story kept me intrigued throughout. And the additional side stories in Doki Doki Literature Plus! help flesh out the characters and supplement the darker more disturbing moments of the game.

Pikmin 3 Deluxe for the Nintendo Switch takes an already great game and sweetens it with updated visuals, improved controls and impressive (though uncharacteristically difficult) side missions to create a title that would make most Switch game collections incomplete without.

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.

A Space for the Unbound starts 2023 off right with one of the better narrative romps I’ve had in a long time. A slice-of-life narrative tale set in 90’s Indonesia and filled with supernatural twists finds a way to be compelling to all walks of life thanks to a well-crafted story with a lot of heart. Excellent world design and music help seal the deal. The game is moderately slowed down due to extensive foot travel and some strange point and click mechanics but the rest of the game is so interesting that you learn to roll with it.