There is almost nothing without purpose in Breath of the Wild’s world and it is easy to get lost for hours on end without ever advancing the story. Even so, it helps that the narrative holds up as well, providing another meaningful journey for the Hylian hero and heroine. Breath of the Wild is by no means perfect, but when you’ve got a game that rewards every kind of exploration with a new wrinkle, it might not have to be.

Atlus has spent the last decade trying to make this niche JPRG franchise more prominent in the west, and Persona 5 deserves to be the game that finally takes the series from obscure to mainstream. Not only is it true to the series’ roots as well as a great starting point for the series, it’s a fantastic game, period. A hundred hours might not even feel like enough time; my first thought upon seeing the credits roll was “Is it too soon for New Game Plus?” Persona 5 is something very special, so never fear, JRPG fans: it was worth the wait.

It’s fantastic, fun and highly addictive, and there’s no reason you shouldn’t be playing Hearthstone right now.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain might not be the perfect game, but it's as close as any title has ever gotten.

Uncharted 4 is indeed A Thief's End, the type of bookend story to which other franchises should aspire. It's an emotional ride through some pretty dangerous places, not the least of which is the mind of a man who realizes he's at a major crossroad in life. Will this be the last time we see Nathan Drake? I don't know for sure, but you know what? I sure hope it is. Godspeed Uncharted, and thanks for all the memories.

Sometimes things will be tough; you may even swear you're done getting stomped by a cruel and uncaring game, yet you'll inevitably find yourself picking up that controller again, steeling your resolve, swearing to push through the pain to snatch that next triumphant moment of victory from the slobbering jaws of the dark beast we call Bloodborne.

Threes is a great mix of simplicity, style and fun. Even if you hate math and numbers, you’ll dig this.

There are times when Wild Hunt just can't live up to its own development team's expectations, but for the most part, The Witcher 3 is an amazing experience.

Papa Sangre II has 18 levels for you to tackle, giving you a relatively lengthy and immersive experience unlike anything you might have come across before.

Table Tennis Touch manages to not only capture the fun of one of America’s most enduring pastimes, but it does so in a way that makes full use of video games as a medium, allowing for new types of experiences while keeping the core fun of the game intact.

There wasn’t a single minute while I was playing this game that I wasn’t smiling, oohing, or aahing at something, whether it be a new detail in a stage, or a big time move pulled off by another player. The Smash Bros. museum is open once again, and anyone who’s ever loved Smash Bros., Nintendo, or video games in general, should immediately subscribe to the lifetime pass.

By this point in time, I still have trouble trying to decide whether or not Device 6 was a text-based game or a story with video game elements added in, but neither of those choices adequately describe it. In hindsight, I realize now that Device 6 can be easily categorized with one word: art.

Overwatch does the things most video games only dream of doing. This is a fresh, joyful experience offering an incredible variety of gameplay, high ease of access, and deep potential for mastery. In a genre full of dour shootymans using realistic guns to shoot at realistic people, Overwatch polishes off the grit to reveal a game that's optimistic and eager to be explored. This is a world you'll want to stay in, bring your friends to, and keep coming back to for years to come.

With beautiful visuals, excellent controls, varying raceways, and near-perfect multiplayer experiences, I wholly recommend Asphalt 8: Airborne to anyone wanting a fun, over-the-top racing title. Who knows what Gameloft will do in the future with Asphalt 9, but they won’t be redlining and blowing their engines anytime soon.

No matter what form it’s in, Final Fantasy VI is one of the best games in the history of the medium, with its fast-paced battles, humongous world to explore, fascinating characters and bold, original story.

Forza Horizon 3 has everything you could possibly want from a modern racing game, and it just happens to be in the most stunning package we've ever seen.

Blood and Wine has been said to be the last pursuit for Geralt of Rivia for the foreseeable future according to CD Projekt Red. If that’s really true and we’re done with Witcher for a while, then Blood and Wine is most certainly the way to put this franchise to rest once and for all.

X-Com: Enemy Unknown controls perfectly on the iPad. The touch controls for the camera, the soldiers, and choosing commands are all intuitively designed and responsive.

Lords of Waterdeep provides an intense, strategic experience that’s best played with friends, and though it can occasionally lean on the rules to the point of becoming convoluted, the varied gameplay and great potential for inter-personal interactions make for an awesome experience.

Majora’s Mask 3D’s small but significant changes push it just far enough ahead of Ocarina of Time 3D to make it as unique of an experience as it was fifteen years ago.

If Dark Souls III is the final visit to this series, then it is the apex the series deserves and certainly one of the most worthwhile adventures we’ve embarked on in a long time.

The gameplay, while not overly complex and slightly less fine-tuned as its console cousin, is more than adequate. And the overall package is really quite solid. Playdead knows this and the price tag reflects that polish. But is Limbo worth it? Well, there certainly are no shortage of beautiful physics puzzle/platformers already in the App Store, but there’s not many that can match Limbo’s overall quality.

I have nothing but unabashed love for Monsters Ate My Birthday Cake, and although it’s a $4.99 download, it’s well worth the investment.

This is an absolutely gorgeous game that must be experienced by anyone with an iOS device.

Horizon Zero Dawn is compelling from the first minutes of the game, telling an incredible story and marking it with a deep crafting system and exceptional combat. Aloy is inspiring in her lead role, with the potential to become a new leading face in gaming for a long time to come.

NetherRealm Studios has been working with the DC Comics characters for a few games now, but Injustice 2 truly shows just how well the developer understands how to best translate comics to a fighting game. Just having the likes of Gorilla Grodd and Aquaman in a fighting game would have been enough for most fans, but including as much depth in the story, loot system, online options, and customization takes Injustice 2 above and beyond. It's not all that rare for NetherRealm to have success in the fighting genre, but to accomplish this level of excellence for players of all skill levels is a fantastic achievement.

The magnitude of the world is awe-inspiring, and even with the lukewarm additions of crafting and building, Fallout 4 manages to be as enthralling an experience as any open-world adventure to date.

FTL: Faster Than Light proved to be a hit on the PC, with its massive replayability, intelligently-designed gameplay and minimalist interface, and those same qualities are what make it a success on iOS as well.