Kirby and the Forgotten Land is fun, relaxing, and challenging all at once. Kirby’s first major leap into 3D is an incredible success, with new mechanics and altered gameplay providing a familiar-yet-unique experience for any fan of the series. Forgotten Land provides incredible foundations for the future of 3D Kirby games, and one can only hope that HAL will continue to build upon them.

Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King is a delightful collection for two of the greats of their generation.

The still relatively young Forza Horizon series has been consistently great across its first two entries and Forza Horizon 3 continues that impressive trend with distinctive driving physics that are better than ever and a robust campaign full of different events that takes players across Australia.

It's the Dark Souls of Dark Souls games, and the issues that plagued the console versions that released in 2011 have been remedied.

Spelunky 2 enhances and expands on what worked in the first game without "fixing" anything that wasn't broken. In that way it's the perfect sequel for fans who have been playing this game for over a decade. Newcomers might be scared away by the difficulty and seemingly impenetrable secrets, but the effort to get through this is well rewarded.

Hitman 2 is the series at its very best — players can play with a razor sharp edge and cut surgically through a level or take a blunt approach and make hilariously bad decisions and deal with the brutal outcome.

No More Heroes 3 is a fantastic sequel that fans deserve, delivering everything you’ve come to expect from the series and more.

When everything clicks, Red Dead Redemption 2 for PC is a solid port, just not a perfect one. Largely carried by the fantastic quality of the game itself, the port does at least provide prettier visuals, additional content, and a fantastic new Photo Mode.

EA Sports FC 24 can be considered the perfect start for the next chapter in EA's franchise, as the game improves upon the foundations left by FIFA 23 while also adding a few game-changing and truly welcome features. Being on the pitch never felt better!

Granblue Fantasy: Relink delivers an extremely polished experience featuring beautiful visuals, an exhilarating combat system, an intricate character progression system, a solid single-player campaign, an inviting multiplayer, and a wide array of both quests and different playable characters sure to keep you around even after completing its storyline.

Ancestors is likely going to be a polarizing game, but it’s something so out of the ordinary than what you’ve come accustomed to in either the survival or third person open world genre, that it’s worth a look.

The Mortal Kombat series is truly experiencing a renaissance with the most consistent output since the original trilogy in recent years. Mortal Kombat 11 now continues that trend by giving fans of the series a nostalgia fueled story that somehow manages to mesh perfectly with the present day story presented across the last few games.

While there are often many years that sports games phone it in, FIFA 18 doesn’t feel like one. From head to toe this game is both dripping in style and substance with so many compelling game modes its really just a matter of where should you start. Wherever it is, soccer fans will find very little to be disappointed in this year.

Pentiment goes all in as a dialogue-heavy historical murder mystery that you won’t want to stop playing. You will question your actions throughout the game because your choices truly matter. No two endings will be the same, which makes you want to replay the game to delve deeper into the mystery. How will your story end?

A fantastic conclusion to this great series. The episode is a perfect amalgamation of everything that has worked so well in the series so far. It is also a massive improvement over its predecessors in a number of ways, and it takes the story began four episodes ago and ends it in a very satisfactory way. This is all on top of fixing most of the technical problems that have plagued the series over these last few episodes, delivering a finale that cements this as one of Telltale's best series to date.

A Way Out takes some of the very best ideas from action adventure gaming and mixes them with the story telling of a great film. It's near perfect in pace and progression, while offering the player plenty of variety across the course of this five hour experience.

Yakuza Kiwami represents the pinnacle of the series, with Sega bringing everything it has learned over the years and refining it into a single neat package. The result is a unique and unforgettable experience that far outstrips what was presented in the original entry.

Gran Turismo 7 is a love letter to people who enjoy cars in general. Its next-gen capabilities create an immersive sense of realism with an expansive list of tracks.

Crash Bandicoot is starting off his 25th anniversary celebration in style with an upgraded version of what was already a stellar game. The number of changes may be fairly minimal overall, but there is no reason not to experience Crash at his very best on new generation hardware with Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time.

Forza Motorsport is an addictive, shockingly fun, extremely impressive visual showcase for the franchise. I was amazed by how often I wanted to play more, get more slick cars, and keep striving to perform better.

With a killer soundtrack, excellent controls, a great roster of characters, and more, you'll find that there is an excellent time to be had here by any gamer of any skill level.

Hitman GO is just as good on PlayStation as it was on iOS and Android, and the updated visuals and amount of content at a great price that the Definitive Edition offers will keep you coming back for more and more.

The Monster Hunter franchise debut on the Switch is nothing short of phenomenal. Significant visual upgrades made possible by the more powerful console accompanied by a slew of gameplay additions make this a must-own for Monster Hunter fans.

Superhot VR is one of the best VR games out there. Blissful action in a unique setting, the game has a lot to offer. It's over too soon, but extra modes will keep you coming back for more.

The sports game genre’s toughest task is to make consumers feel a need to buy each year, so an incremental upgrade can often not be quite enough. FIFA 17 was already coming off one of the series’ best outings in awhile, but with features like the The Journey mode and the even more realistic Frostbite engine, EA Canada has once again given players a reason to buy the game yet again with FIFA 17.

PHOGS! is a real gaming treat. It's a very well crafted co-op focused experience which works whether the players are of equal or different skill levels. It's a budget release, yet feels very content-rich for the price. And it creates a unique world that is both memorable and fun to experience.

Tekken 8 doubles down on all of the right aspects and delivers the ultimate Tekken experience through an extremely polished combat system, a beautiful presentation, a surprisingly well-crafted story mode, a few novel mechanics, and a groundbreaking new game mode.

The best Hogwarts experience ever made is finally here. Though it's not without its flaws, Hogwarts Legacy is a phenomenal game that has a lot of great "somethings for everyone." This is by far the best Wizarding World video game to ever come out and stands with a select few games that prove more is more.

If Monster Hunter: World is a revelation, then Iceborne is something more. It takes everything I loved about the original title, while improving the things that I didn't. Truly, even with some minor shortcomings, if the ideal form of Monster Hunter were to be given shape then this is just about as close as you could get.

Spider-Man: Miles Morales is a thrilling, albeit brief, ride with the most compelling Spider-Man yet.

Batman: The Enemy Within - Episode 2 'The Pact' is yet another fantastic episode in this series. It was going to be hard to top the greatness of season one, but if these first two episodes are any indication, we might be in for one of Telltale's best yet. The action, drama, characters, and story are all firing on all cylinders and fans of Batman owe it to themselves to check this series out.

As far as the basic HD remastering is concerned, Capcom has done a great job of updating and improving on the Gamecube release.

Arkane leverages Prey's strengths in gameplay with a rogue like twist on story delivery for one of the best DLCs of the year.

EA still has some tricks up their sleeve on the gameplay front that can continue to make FIFA an enjoyable, albeit complex, sports sim.

Proving that this series can stand alongside its predecessors, The Walking Dead: A New Frontier - Episode 3 is another fantastic entry from Telltale. The wait was long, but the improvements in story and overall stability were worth it.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare reboots the franchise with solid success throughout.

As far as Call of Duty games go, WW2 is an instant classic.

Swamps of Corsus is a must-buy for fans of Remnant, and a great excuse for curious outsiders to finally check the game out. Remnant: From the Ashes is not the prettiest or most original Soulslike out there, and the lack of an in-game lore depository remains an issue, but it makes up for these quirks by offering the widest variety of modes to engage with. If Remnant: From the Ashes didn't have enough meat on the bone before, it certainly does now.

Divinity Original Sin 2 is the same great RPG that fans of the original remember, just made better.

Volume shows us that limitation really does breed creativity, delivering a thrilling, accessible experience in bite-sized pieces.

Despite missed potential in terms of its main story, Like a Dragon Gaiden makes up for it with incredible combat and fantastic side content. Hopefully RGG Studio continues to expand on the beat-em-up style instead of going all-in on turn-based combat, because Gaiden offers one of the most fun gameplay experiences of the franchise.

Building upon everything right with its predecessors, Mortal Kombat X takes the series another step forward with an insanely fun story that is surrounded by well fleshed out characters and gameplay that takes the best of the past while infusing it with brand new mechanics.

Offering a splendid amount of content in one package that can be enjoyed in both single and multiplayer, the colorful Runbow easily deserves a spot in the party game lineup for any Wii U owner.

Taking the loot-based shooter to a new level, The Division features a gorgeous world to explore, full of interesting items to collect, and tons of players to team up with. The enemies are still bullet sponges, and the missions can get repetitive, but the social elements allow for a lot of fun to be had once you get a good group together. An engaging story and enjoyable characters are just icing on the top of what will likely be one of the best shooters of the year.

12 Minutes is easily one of the best games of the year. I was surprised by how quickly it grabbed me, and it maintained that hold until the end. It feels like nearly every loop ends with an exciting cliffhanger that leaves you rushing to start the cycle over again. It can be a bit difficult to maintain focus when you’re stuck on a puzzle and you find yourself beating your head against the wall in search of a solution, but those breakthrough moments are more than worth the trouble.

The biggest star though is just the overall style of the game, with characters that will quickly endear themselves to every player. Splatoon is easily one of the most unique games of this generation, and one of the best as well.

While looking perhaps a bit too ambitious on the surface with two distinctly different gameplay elements, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is a captivating sci-fi adventure set across multiple periods of time. There is no question that the game will have people very confused during the first few hours, but the split story really starts to come together and is well worth playing through to unravel the ongoing mysteries found throughout.

Built around a captivating story told from two sides, the usage of a world map together with the classic style battle system makes Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia yet another must play game for the franchise.

Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition shows its age in some areas, but with its enjoyable characters, interesting story, beautiful aesthetic and fun combat, this is one game from 2008 that definitely still holds up in 2019.

Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series - Episode 3 "More than a Feeling" cements this as another classic adventure from the developer. Humor and drama are both on display in full force. You'll face some tough choices here, and watching the face of a disappointed crewmember will not be easily forgotten

Despite the high standard of the property and developer, Game of Thrones: A Telltale Games Series Episode 1 - Iron From Ice manages to hold up to nearly every expectation and delivers a gaming experience on par with the HBO show.

Bravely Second is exactly what a sequel should be, improving upon the foundation of the original while adding in its own ideas to further enhance the experience. The 60+ hour adventure is more consistent than the first game, and the main plot and side quests are more elaborate and engaging.

Ghost of Tsushima is a masterclass on how to make a palatable and focused open world experience.

Even better, both Kingdom Hearts II and Birth By Sleep bring their Final Mix counterparts to the US for the first time, with a slew of new content in each that will interest even those that beat 100% of the originals.

Coming eight years after the original finally released in the US, Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition truly lives up to its new name as the ultimate version of the game thanks to updated visuals, quality of life enhancements, and even a brand new must play epilogue.

Affordable Space Adventures is a must-have for anyone with a Wii U. It utilizes the Gamepad in ways that few games have before, and truly feels like a unique, yet fun experience.

Obduction is a true successor to Myst and its legacy. The game can be painfully unforgiving at times, and its puzzles might feel both confusing and unintuitive, but there is a logic at its heart. Once you figure it out the feeling of accomplishment and success is unrivaled. Those who've waited years for more games like Myst need look no further.

By combining the completely new Bowser's Fury expansion with what was an already stellar Super Mario 3D World, there is no question that Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury will provide you with hours of pure joy in what is one of the best entries in the overall Mario series and yet another must own title in the Nintendo Switch library.

Dark Souls 3: The Ringed City is a worthy finale for this game and the series in general. Taking every trick that they’ve learned over the course of the series and seemingly packing them into one final journey, The Ringed City is sure to please if you’re into the masochistic nature of the series.

Nioh 2: Complete Edition carves out its own identity, standing tall as an evolution of the Souls formula instead of a derivative.

The Surge 2 is an exceptional Soulslike, with top of it’s class combat, stellar level design and a crafting system that makes experimenting fun and simple. Where the game falters it doesn’t do so tragically, instead being victim to its devout adherence to its more grounded setting and mediocre-at-best story.

Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age is the shining example of how remasters should be -- improving the game in multiple aspects while keeping the core gameplay intact.

Grow Home isn't awfully deep, nor does it provide any real story to hook you, but this game taps into the pleasure centers of seeing something and going there... however you may choose to do so.

The Walking Dead: The Telltale Definitive Series combines some of the best stories that video games have to offer all in one enhanced and improved package.

Just as powerful as ever, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons still is one that every gamer truly needs to experience in their lifetime at some point.

With a better story, better characters, QoL improvements, and more interesting and varied missions, Destiny 2 was a better game than its predecessor on consoles, and it is even moreso on PC. This is the definitive Destiny 2 experience, offering 4K visuals at 60fps or higher with smoother and more precise controls.

Batman: The Enemy Within hits the ground running with Episode 1 "The Enigma". The series looks extremely promising and this single episode is worth checking out all on its own. Players will be instantly hooked on the drama, and will be dying to see what happens next. Batman: The Enemy Within - Episode 2 can't come fast enough.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is a delightful and fantastic JRPG experience. A long story full of adventure, character, charm, and whimsy will keep you playing for dozens of hours without breaking a sweat.

Kingdom Hearts 3 seems as if it may finally be coming in the relatively near future and Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue serves as an excellent appetizer for those waiting.

Despite the combat being marginally better, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is peak Spider-Man thanks to better UI, better villains, a better story, a bigger world, Web Wings, and two Spider-Men.

Control shines on next-gen hardware. Whether you're delving into the Oldest House for the first time or are revisiting the facility to get a taste of the new ray-tracing features or 60 FPS performance mode, Control: Ultimate Edition is a stellar experience that provides the definitive way to play Remedy's latest title.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a truly new expression of the design philosophy that FromSoftware has spent years refining. Shifting gears a bit in the setting, story, and gameplay, the spirit of Dark Souls is still clearly the driving factor here.

Guacamelee 2 is a brilliantly made game on the presentation front and its few flaws don't limit its enjoyment.

It's hard to imagine any fan of any of the Darksiders games not enjoying Genesis. It definitely hammers home on the strengths of the franchise and brings the playable characters full circle with the introduction of Strife.

There are very few games as perfectly suited for the Nintendo Switch as Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics, offering players an impressive lineup of games to play in a variety of different ways that makes it a must own party game for the Nintendo Switch.

Death Stranding is only made better in the transition to PC. Its world feels more vibrant and alive thanks to 4K and 60fps gameplay. Beyond that it's mostly the same experience as you got on PS4, which was already quite impressive.

BoxBoxBoy! is a simple and straightforward sequel to a great 2D puzzle adventure.

If you go into Code Vein thinking that you're going to get something on the level of any of the Souls games (or Bloodborne) you're going to be a little bit disappointed.

As second episodes go, it’s a strong one. Plenty of things happen, but nothing too meaningful as it continues to lay a foundation for what will likely become a pretty zany finale. Still, the jokes were funny and there were a few good action sequences.

2K Sports is getting absolutely brazen with their community, testing the limits of what they'll put up with in terms of microtransactions in 2K18. Thankfully it doesn't persist into every mode, because there's a lot of good ones to compliment the excellent gameplay and presentation.

While the extremely high level of difficulty at the start can be daunting for newcomers, the level of detail and realism mixed into the building and flying segments make it well worth the time spent learning in Kerbal Space Program.

Roll7 has put out an impressive game, and if you're up to the challenge, you'll have a great way to spend your downtime.

Semblance is a fresh and interesting take on puzzle platformers. Players who like testing their mental fortitude will want to jump right in. Those who struggle and are easily frustrated might have more reason to be cautious though

Judgment is proof that the Yakuza formula works even with a fresh set of faces. I really hope we get to see more of these characters in a sequel or future spinoff, especially if the detective side content gets a little more love the next time around.

EA Sports UFC 5 fulfills its premise and sets a new standard for the franchise through a huge leap in overall immersion and the debut of the game-changing Real Impact System. But the lack of attention given to other areas may underwhelm those who were hoping for something more.

If you don't mind a bit of idle time and trying to find something to do in between missions that may or may not mean days more of waiting for the right resources for your side task, the old-western bandits and those darn Geeglers really did keep my time at Sandrock interesting.

A tightly controlled and intriguing story mix with some of the best action sequences of the season to create a real turning point for the series. If Telltale can keep it up we're in for a real treat by the end of Minecraft: Story Mode Season 2.

But I always returned, wanting and eager. Always under the prospect of "just one more mission." And then a mission after that, and a mission following that. Always "just one more." It's in this mantra that MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries excels. It's not the prettiest, most polished, or robust of games available, but - damn me - do I want to keep playing it.

Whether a Nintendo Switch purist or someone who uses it as their dedicated mobile device, Saints Row IV: Re-Elected for Nintendo Switch remains a stellar game worth playing if you can endure some minor performance quibbles.

Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania is a solid celebration for the 20th anniversary of the series’ inception. It caters to fans who have stuck around to see the next big thing and does so in a complete package with new surprises and things to come.

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter may not be a long journey, but the breathtaking visuals and atmosphere are enough to captivate most anybody on their way to solving a number of mysteries that all play a part in the overall story.

Assassin's Creed: Syndicate is about what we've come to expect from annual franchise. Ubisoft Quebec has built a beautiful new world to explore but relies on many of the same ideas from previous games to keep players interested.

Yacht Club Games has delivered once again in the latest expansion for Shovel Knight thanks to exciting gameplay and level design that proves Shovel Knight: King of Cards was well worth the wait.

While game mode improvements are definitely minimal this year, the new gameplay mechanics definitely tip the scale towards making NHL 20 one that you probably will not want to skip.

A fun adventure with an emotional narrative, interesting characters and relationships.

If you're looking to fall in love with a platformer that wears its heart on its sleeve, you'll be happy to know that these titles still do hold up tremendously well, even if they may not feel as polished as some newer games in the genre. If you're willing to deal with some frustrations from dated design, you may find yourself head over heels for this loveable Dream Warrior, no questions asked.

Splatoon 3 makes many fantastic improvements and changes to the games before it. These minor additions will surely go a long way in retaining a large number of players, even if most of the brand-new content feels somewhat lacking. Splatoon 3 is the best game to start with for newcomers to the franchise. It might be tougher to convince die-hard fans of its merit, but future updates and changes will likely sway their opinions as well.

The collection is a faithful representation of the arcade classics with a rich and deep museum to fill your brain with enough Street Fighter lore and history to last you for years.