Sackboy: A Big Adventure is dripping with charm and makes excellent use of the DualSense controller.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War brings the Black Ops subseries back to its roots, delivering an explosive campaign, fast-paced multiplayer, and a compelling Zombies experience.

While definitely not for everyone, Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory is truly a trip down memory lane full of the best songs that the series has to offer. With more than 140 tracks and a relatively minuscule new story involving Kairi thrown into the mix, the game is a must play for long time fans of the series, especially if you love rhythm games.

Assassin's Creed: Valhalla takes all the previous systems introduced in Origins and Odyssey, and streamlines them into a more focused experience. The game may have some flaws, and it's a shame to see the combat remains mediocre after all these years, yet Valhalla is easily the best entry in the recent trilogy. Grab your axes and shields: it's time to go a-viking!

There's no massive additions or changes in the transition to Switch, and some gameplay frustrations still remain that likely shouldn't. But fans will be very happy with what's offered here and newcomers will find this to be the definitive way to experience Suda51's masterpieces.

There's no massive additions or changes in the transition to Switch, and some gameplay frustrations still remain that likely shouldn't. But fans will be very happy with what's offered here and newcomers will find this to be the definitive way to experience Suda51's masterpieces.

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

This game is an active exercise in the "don't fix what isn't broken" mentality, banking on nostalgia, and succeeding greatly at that. It doesn't really bring much that's new to the table but it's a recommended buy for anyone who wants a simple racer or is a fan of Hot Pursuit at the price it's going for.

Compared to the lackluster The Isle of Armor expansion, The Crown Tundra feels much more fleshed out with enjoyable story quests, on top of the very addictive Dynamax Adventures and Galarian Star Tournament, though there is still something missing that prevents it from taking the series to the next level.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a bold shift in direction, one that succeeds more than it stumbles in the pursuit of its new design.

Pikmin 3 Deluxe is another successful upgrade of an already enjoyable Wii U release. If this were a trilogy release or even just the first two games it'd be a home run. But it's a solid hit anyway.

NHL 21 is an exercise in consistency, providing the usual improvements to graphics, sound, gameplay, and features while having the usual hindrances. Be A Pro is the real All-Star of this game but like every pro on the ice, there was still room for improvement and falls short in some very easy to notice ways.

Even with an enhanced version on the horizon that includes 120 fps with the arrival of next generation consoles, Dirt 5 delivers a fantastic off-road racing experience full of content that will keep you busy not only on the track, but also off with the addition of the new Playgrounds arena editor. Considering there is a free upgrade to the next-gen version as well, there is no reason not to go ahead and pick this one up if you were at all interested, especially if you are a fan of the franchise.

For those expecting a Kirby-like platformer experience due to the game being from HAL Laboratory, you will likely be disappointed. Instead, Part Time UFO feels more like a series of wacky extended WarioWare type levels that will keep you addicted as you strive to earn every medal in the game.

This fast-paced racer will give you both a rush of nostalgia and adrenaline.

Watch Dogs: Legion is incredibly ambitious, but the play as anyone system needs a little more work. The story suffers from the lack of a central protagonist, and it's hard to get attached to any of your characters when the character models and animations are stiff and robotic. Still, there's a lot of fun to be had in futuristic London.

Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty is a great remake of a classic platformer that feels right at home on Nintendo Switch.

Being a game that will no doubt test your reflexes and tenacity, Disc Room will make the number of deaths you have in a Dark Souls game look miniscule in comparison.

Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is a gleefully successful experiment for Nintendo and Velan Studios...though some minor elements hold it back from exceeding expectations.

Amnesia: Rebirth won't dramatically shift the modern horror landscape like its predecessor did ten years ago, yet it's an excellent addition to the genre nonetheless. It's an excellent marriage SOMA's narrative sensibilities with The Dark Descent's more terrifying pacing, capable of standing out in the now crowded market. It won't replace SOMA as my all-time favorite horror game, but it's up there.

Aquanox: Deep Descent works well enough to justify its existence. Performance is fine, gameplay is fine, story is fine, length and price are fine - Aquanox is just fine. It won't wow a lot of people, but the people it does impress will be enamored by it. And, you know what, sometimes that's all you need out of a video game.

Noita is a true standout title in the roguelike genre, featuring endlessly deep gameplay that plays off of its engaging pixel art style.

If you are new to the Torchlight franchise then Torchlight III is an excellent jumping on point. At $30 it's a great binge game to play with friends while we all wait on the next-gen onslaught that's just around the corner. But, if you're a hardcore ARPG fan looking for something deeper then you may be better served elsewhere, namely by Torchlight II.

Despite its often less-than-subtle nods to Nintendo's Breath of the Wild, Genshin Impact does enough differently to stand apart. Throw in punchier combat, a more traditional story packed with interesting characters, and an outstanding score and Genshin Impact easily sits among the upper echelon of games released this year. Hopefully miHoYo relaxes the stamina system and gacha rates soon, because Teyvat is a world absolutely worth revisting. They're just making it difficult for anyone but gacha fans to find the motivation to hold on.

Super Mario Bros. 35 is a flawed game in some ways while offering something new and unique and a whole lot of fun in others.

As the title infers, Mafia: Definitive Edition is indeed the definitive version of the classic game, this time with completely redone visuals and updated gameplay that makes the game feel like it could have released today as a brand new game and few would have known the difference.

Spellbreak is a good battle-royale with great combat. It's graphics and world-design won't "wow" anyone, but the ability to dish out devastating magical destruction in chaotic duals is unlike anything else currently on the market.

Crash Bandicoot may have had a rough patch for a number of years before his triumphant return in the N. Sane Trilogy, but Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time proves that he is still one of the titans of the platformer genre with his most content rich and well-designed adventure to date.

Saints and Sinners showed there was huge potential for this series in VR, which is why it's such a shame that The Walking Dead: Onslaught is a massive disappointment.

Kirby Fighters 2 is very much Super Smash Bros. for kids and/or hardcore Kirby fans. It's a similar experience just made worse by the simplistic and slow fighting and the limited variety of overall gameplay content.

When combat is firing on all cylinders, and the Legion System isn't crashing your PC, Serious Sam 4 is a decent slice of old-school shooter goodness. Yet, in sticking to its guns, Serious Sam 4 ends up being an aggressively mediocre experience.

The collection as a whole might not bring much to the table beyond the games it transfers to a newer console in better shape than before, but when the games are this good that is enough.

Only time will tell if Hades joins the pantheon of roguelike greats alongside The Binding of Isaac and Dead Cells, but it makes an incredibly strong impression. Hades succeeds as both a narrative-driven adventure and an addicting roguelike, and that's a pretty tough combination to pull off.

Kingdoms of Amalur is still a solid game even to this day. It’s just too bad that as a remaster, the game is quite frankly disappointing.

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.

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.

Marvel's Avengers is not particularly great at any one thing. Instead, it's just okay at a lot of things, and that's all it really needs to be.

The Outer Worlds: Peril On Gorgon is story DLC done right. It builds and expands on the existing world while providing a fun, meaty new narrative for fans to dig into. It doesn't address all of the issues players had with The Outer Worlds at launch, but that doesn't stop Peril On Gorgon from being a worthy addition to Obsidian's spacefaring RPG.

2K21 is another solid entry in the series that builds upon the great gameplay strides of the last few years. Visual Concepts has some fires to put out and hopefully that happens sooner rather than later so fans can get on to enjoying the grind.

After falling off the board entirely with Tony Hawk's previous outing, Activision has successfully gone back to the beginning and proven again what once made the series so iconic with Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2.

Crusader Kings III's near perfect marriage of robust grand strategy with compelling roleplaying means both tactical fans and storytelling aficionados will find something to love in its medieval world of politics and intrigue, whether that's crunching numbers to efficiently conquer the known world, or rolling with the punches as they scheme their way into the annals of history.

Madden 21 as a whole may feel like a bit of a letdown compared to the past few years in some areas, but The Yard definitely helps to make it worth it for players that are interested in trying something a little different. With the free upgrade to the next generation version and the promise of treating Franchise like a live service as the season goes on, Madden 21 is likely still going to be well worth the purchase in the long run, even if you may be left a little dissatisfied at this point.

There's no singular moment or element that stands out to make it an amazing experience, but looking back I'm quite happy that the game exists and that I got to play it. The story of Tyler and Alyson is worth experiencing and will live with you long after the credits roll.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition could have been a success had it simply nailed the multiplayer, but cumbersome limitations make it difficult to enjoy with friends. Overall the Remastered Edition is a prettier, yet lesser experience all these years later, so unless you're itching for that sweet hit of nostalgia and don't mind playing with strangers, it's perhaps best to sit this journey out.

Wasteland 3 is one of the best RPGs I've played in years, and it's one you absolutely should not skip.

As a conclusion to Remnant: From the Ashes narrative, Subject 2923 is mediocre, but more than makes up for this fault by introducing a wealth of lore for purists, a solid new biome with a fantastic variety of secrets to discover, and exceptional new boss battles. The story may not be the greatest, yet Subject 2923 manages to conclude Remnant with a bang, not a whimper.

As the first game in this newly rebranded series, PGA Tour 2K21 feels a little bare bones in some areas while also managing to build a solid foundation for the future now that they have the PGA license behind them.

While the art style and crude humor may be the most polarizing aspects on the surface, the lack of any consistency when it comes to gameplay and level design is the real disappointment in what was supposed to be the triumphant return of Battletoads.

Spiritfarer is an excellent game in its own right, yet its candid handling of death truly sets it apart from its peers. It's addicting gameplay loop is well complimented by its thoughtful story - anyone who likes their relaxation with a side of healthy contemplation will be hard pressed to find a more compelling game this year.

Mortal Shell isn't merely "like Dark Souls"; it's a love-letter to From Software's juggernaut series that successfully captures what makes those games special while carving out an identity all its own. It isn't without fault, yet as a freshman effort Mortal Shell is a worthy addition to the Soulslike pantheon.

Microsoft Flight Simulator is an absolute must for flight sim fans, but anyone with the even the slightest bit of an explorer’s nature will be sure to enjoy as well.

It's hard to not fall in love with Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout.

UFC 4 is a better game than UFC 3. While some of the systems might take a little bit of getting used to, there's a more refined experience here. One that's a little bit more welcoming to many different types of players and that's been done without sacrificing the level of depth and quality to the fighting that fans have come to expect from the series.

While there is absolutely no reason to double dip if you already own Cuphead on another platform, PS4 only owners that have been missing out will find this to be a game that they must purchase.

It’s one of the best games of the last few years – but the PC version especially is a sight to behold, so much so that returning players should absolutely consider double-dipping for the PC version of Horizon. It really is that much of an upgrade over the PS4 version. Not only do the graphical and technical improvements make the world much more exciting to explore, but the increased framerate and ability to use a mouse elevate the combat to new heights. The PC platform allows Horizon Zero Dawn to be the best game it can be.

There's a lot of content in Spitlings, but the core concept doesn't do enough to carry the experience for more than a few hours.

If you loved every minute of Portal, The Witness, Obduction, or other sorts of puzzle adventures then Relicta does have something for you. But it's not as well polished as those titles, and doesn't offer as much creativity in puzzle solving, or variety in the puzzles themselves.

Fans of the franchise that have been longing for a full scale game based on the property should be somewhat satisfied by Fairy Tail, although a lot of it is heavily inspired by Gust's flagship franchise.

While it may not return to the heights of The Thousand-Year Door, Paper Mario: The Origami King is by far the best entry in the series in over a decade and gives us hope for the future of the series for the first time in awhile.

Carrion turns the horror genre on its head by letting you be the monster this time in a Metroidvania style game, which serves as the perfect type game to pick up and play between many of the other larger scale releases that have released this year.

Rocket Arena is a fine hero-shooter with a novel twist on the formula, and I absolutely dig its "World of Tomorrow" aethestic, but unless it drops the box price and goes free-to-play the competition will knock it out of the arena; that's just the nature of today's market.

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

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.

People have been waiting for years to finally get what could be considered a really good Sword Art Online game, but the fourth time is certainly not the charm for developer Aquria with probably the most disappointing attempt yet due to the overall squandered potential in Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris.

If you wanted more of the same then Superhot: Mind Control Delete's idiosyncrasies will probably frustrate you more than entertain, but if you look beyond them you'll find a wickedly addicting game beneath. Mind Control Delete may rely too heavily on rolling the dice to extend its playtime, but fans willing to put their qualms aside will discover yet another fine entry in the series.

Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town is a must-play for both fans of the franchise, and gamers in love with farming oriented life-sims. It doesn't opt to break new ground, but instead play to its strengths, leaning on what made the experience great 17 years ago.

F1 2020 continues the positive trend the series has had over the last multiple years by not only improving on existing game modes and game mechanics, but also introducing the brand new My Team mode and even new racing options that make the game more accessible than ever.

With all the added Pokemon that were previously missing and the fact it's just more Sword and Shield to enjoy, The Isle of Armor is definitely worth getting, but it's best not to have the highest of expectations going in regardless due to the major flaws that hold it back from being great.

While many players may have not used their PlayStation VR in awhile, Marvel's Iron Man VR is without a doubt the game to get people to dust it off and play again. Far more than a tech demo, Marvel's Iron Man VR actually makes you feel like you are flying around and firing repulsor blasts in one of the most immersive VR experiences to date.

Even with a new developer in charge, Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia builds upon the previous game with a lengthy campaign that has a ton of replayability, though players may feel pretty overwhelmed at first due to the complex gameplay.

Finally making its way out of Japan for the first time, Mr. Driller DrillLand is still the best entry in this niche puzzle franchise and fits right at home on the Nintendo Switch.

Rehydrated chooses to maintain all of the original's flaws, resulting in a very faithful remake that will surely elicit nostalgic memories if you've spent a lot of time with the original Battle for Bikini Bottom, but it will do absolutely nothing for everyone else.

If you live for long-term loot grinds, visceral combat, and everything anime then Phantasy Star Online 2 will amuse you with hundreds of hours of entertainment.

Command & Conquer Remastered isn't just the best way to replay these classic RTS', it's one of the best and most consumer-friendly remasters ever made. Welcome back, Commander.

Desperados III is definitely worth seeing through to the end, whether it be for the fun western tale it tells or the deep tactical stealth gameplay it offers.

Although it had some good ideas at the start, Those Who Remain feels like the most cookie cutter horror game possible that barely manages to present anything fresh enough to keep you interested across the six hour playtime.

The Last of Us Part II is a truly worthy sequel to one of the greatest games ever made.

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.

The Outer Worlds for the Nintendo Switch is an admirable, yet mediocre port of an otherwise great game - end of story. It runs well enough to justify its existence, but at the current asking price you're better off playing Obsidian's latest elsewhere.

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.

The Elder Scrolls Online: Greymoor is a solid new Chapter in the Elder Scrolls saga, despite hewing too closely to tradition at times. The main story may be a bit of a bust, but the variety of excellent side-stories on offer proves The Elder Scrolls Online is one of the best story-oriented MMOs on the market.

While not anywhere near as glitch ridden as the Mafia II remaster, Mafia III: Definitive Edition adds nothing more than the previously released DLC along with the very strange removal of Xbox One X support that was added to the original release after launch. Lincoln Clay's story is well worth experiencing a first time, but there is no real reason to venture back to New Bordeaux with this latest release as part of the Mafia Trilogy.

Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted is a good game at its core, but it suffers in the transition to Nintendo Switch.

Already the king of the story mode in the fighting game genre, Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath adds even more enjoyable content with a DLC character focused plot. Adding in three new DLC characters with Fujin, Sheeva, and RoboCop only sweetens the pot in this must own package that all Mortal Kombat fans should experience.

Mafia II: Definitive Edition may have definitive in its name, but the numerous glitches that plague it really hold back what is still a good game at its core from truly earning that title.

Maneater sets out to deliver a specific experience and ends up nailing that, but not much else.

Minecraft Dungeons is an incredibly charming dungeon crawler that doesn't have the depth to replace its counterparts, but it's still a blast while it lasts.

Deep Rock Galactic is proof enough that keeping focus and executing on a single idea can lead to excellence. Ghost Ship Games debut title is cooperative bliss, and a must-play for all fans of the genre. For Rock and Stone!

I may have wanted more out of Saints Row: The Third Remastered, but it's still as much a blast to play today as it was in 2011, and now it's prettier to boot. Grumbles aside, what more could I ask for?

World War Z: GOTY Edition has everything it needs to be a compelling AA darling: multiple engaging game modes, a solid progression loop, a well polished core gimmick, and competent sound and weapon design. But, much like its standout zombie swarms, the myriad amount of bugs can prove too much to handle.

While it may be a little too beholden to its SNES era roots in some ways, Trials of Mana is a solid remake that offers players an alternative way to experience what was not too long ago a Japanese exclusive game.

Even with no new content outside of a few downloadable characters and costumes, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 Road to Boruto is still the best that the franchise has to offer gaming wise and performs with very few hiccups in its latest release on the Nintendo Switch.

Predator: Hunting Grounds feels like a rough and empty game that is held up by its adherence to the original film's tone and atmosphere. But the overall quality hits more like the forgettable sequels, unfortunately.

Meet Streets of Rage 4 on its own terms and you'll discover a sometimes cheap, yet often rewarding revival of a once dead franchise. The soundtrack is stellar, art design fantastic, animations superb, and controls precise. But if you expected all the former sins of the genre to be absolved after 26 years you'll have to look elsewhere.

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.

Gears Tactics perfectly translates the aggressive, bloody action of the series to the turn-based format.

On it's own Fallout 76: Wastelanders is an excellent expansion, but it doesn't completely amend the problems that plague Fallout 76, or subvert the controversy that surrounds it. What it does do is provide a path forward that may eventually lead to Fallout 76 becoming a genuinely good game.

We will also have Gears Tactics, and Streets of Rage next week and I’ll try to get those to you as soon as I receive the scores from my writers.