The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a culmination of every small step Nintendo’s made with the series resulting in one of the most satisfying games I’ve ever played.

Trio of Towns offers a wide variety for players to enjoy, but is marred by a few technical weeds in the garden.

Torment is the purest expression of Infinity Engine RPGs we will ever see in the modern age.

Dexed is one of the most boring virtual reality experiences I've had.

While deep and captivating on their own, Digimon World Next Order’s bloated mechanics step all over each other and make progressing through the game as a whole a stressful chore.

It feels dirty to say “no” to new Psychonauts, but Rhombus of Ruin is a half-baked attempt at wrapping up the first game’s cliffhanger bundled with some monotonous gameplay and too little content for the asking price.

Berserk and the Band of the Hawk is amazing. It’s perfect for fans of series, it’s perfect for fans of the Warriors franchise, it’s perfect for gamers looking for a fun “mature” game that isn’t Call of Duty. It’s hard to imagine a manga that filled me with horror so many times, filling me with such joy as a game, but it does. Get this game, if only to open the door to a darker generation of Warriors games.

Horizon Zero Dawn is the gaming equivalent of realizing that sounding too much like the legends—when done well—is just fine.

For Honor is a great example that Western developers can make some great innovative twists on a primarily Japanese-built genre. It’s so safe for AAA titles to resort to going action, open-world, or FPS, but this is a real risk that Ubisoft is taking on a brand new IP and I hope it pays off for them. This is the best combat system I’ve had the pleasure to experience since the death of character action games. I hope to see you on the battlefield, even if you fight for Valhalla or the Emperor.

Leaving Lyndow is a beautiful experience in a fascinating world, but may be more of a 45-minute-long commercial for the upcoming Eastshade than an actual game.

Even without playing the new 3 on 3 multiplayer, I feel I can easily recommend Halo Wars 2 to both Halo fans and those hankering for an RTS on console. The controls are tight, the cutscenes are to die for, and there is a new cute AI that I want to be best friends with. If you aren't sold on the whole RTS thing, or it just isn't a genre you're interested in, then at the very least watch these cutscenes somewhere online, because they are damn impressive.

With Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force, Compile Heart has proven to be the Platinum Dunes of otaku entertainment – an assembly line of titles with similar plots, repeated mechanics, and fan service that feels designed for middle schoolers.

Memoranda means well, but fails to execute by relying on verbatim Murakami references and contrived logic.

Flywrench creates complex challenges through simple design structures, absorbing you into to its mesmerising gameplay for hours upon end.

Sniper Elite 4 is the best entry in Rebellion’s long-running franchise yet, and a great title for fans of stealth gaming.

If you're looking for an adorable game with tight platforming, a unique lighting mechanic, fantastic graphics and level design then Candleman if for you.

She Remembered Caterpillars is a beautiful puzzle beset with gorgeous art and music and a somewhat frustrating difficulty curve.

Tales of Berseria is proof that with a more thoughtful approach to design, the series still has what it takes to stand tall among its RPG contemporaries.

I would totally play a game that is just the audio processing from this game. Everything else is a tedious glitchy mess.

Team Ninja knocks it out of the park with their take on Samurai Dark Souls.

Poochy & Yoshi’s Woolly World comes to 3DS and it’s every bit as delightful (and simple) as it was on the Wii U .

Described as "Dark Souls underwater," this tactical action game is a brief, but fun little journey.

SpiritSphere is a fun game with a few missteps. The unpredictable difficulty and lack of online multiplayer can be extremely frustrating when other aspects are so fun.

This wonderful looking Spider-Man simulator in the sky doesn't live up to its full potential.

Dynasty Warriors: Godseekers is a smart twist on the SRPG formula that pushes the genre in new, interesting directions while never losing touch with what makes these sorts of games so satisfying.

Amid a few new additions and changes, The Flame in the Flood is still very much the same flawed but absorbing survival game that you might remember from last year.

It’s a simple enough formula consisting of shooting and completing objectives—usually by shooting.

Held back by a lack of polish and some persistent netcode issues, War Commander: Rogue Assault is nevertheless a decent mobile distraction that doesn’t tread into pay-to-win territory.

Atelier Shallie Plus: Alchemists of the Dusk Sea is a pretty shoddy port, but the game itself is a charming, arresting adventure with loads of content and depth.

Kingdom Hearts fans - particularly those who can justify the game's astronomical price point of $60 for about five hours of new content - will definitely enjoy their brief time with Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue.

Resident Evil returns to its horror roots, and is all the better for it in a game that was designed to be played in VR.

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King’s definitive home is now on 3DS.

A little platformer that offers new mechanics in a graduated, character-centric fashion.

A novel twist on familiar gameplay elements, Yakuza Zero once again delivers a unique blend of real-world immersion, humanistic storytelling, and some of the best action gameplay on the market.

2064: Read Only Memories has a fascinating world full of potential for great stories, but spends a lot of time focusing on things that aren’t as novel as its best parts.

Not awful but far from good, Fate/Extella: The Umbral Star is a title that lets down fans and keeps away newcomers with a pithy story, mediocre gameplay, and a generic art direction that betrays the franchise’s roots.

Ladykiller in a Bind hits some unfortunate narrative snags and suffers from mixed characterization, but is ultimately a worthwhile, interesting game that takes the medium in interesting new directions.

I might not be as hypnotized with Stardew Valley as a lot of other folks, but it's pretty much the Harvest Moon follow-up I've been waiting for since the SNES and Nintendo 64 days.

Despite a majority of the original’s flaws carrying over, Gravity Rush 2 is nevertheless a good game with a winning narrative and a beautiful art direction.

As the most content-rich Project DIVA game yet, Future Tone has a bizarre charm that should appeal even to the most vocaloid-averse rhythm game fans.

As the most content-rich Project DIVA game yet, Future Tone has a bizarre charm that should appeal even to the most vocaloid-averse rhythm game fans.

Balance is something that most people don’t particularly treat as a guiding principle in life, yet when playing Even the Ocean, it’s clear that Kittaka and Hogan both view it with reverence. If there’s one thing that should be taken from it, it’s that perhaps more of us should.

How We Soar has a lot of potential, but it’s left unrealized in what ultimately amounts to a very unfulfilling game.

Bugs and shortcomings aside, the last time I found myself this absorbed and invested in a Telltale game was with Tales from the Borderlands. If A New Frontier continues to build upon its characters and story arc with the same momentum of these first two episodes, this season could well turn out to be some of Telltale’s best work yet.

Bugs and shortcomings aside, the last time I found myself this absorbed and invested in a Telltale game was with Tales from the Borderlands. If A New Frontier continues to build upon its characters and story arc with the same momentum of these first two episodes, this season could well turn out to be some of Telltale’s best work yet.

Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is WayForward’s finest entry in the series yet. Platformer enthusiasts and people who can’t get enough of collecting virtual trinkets will undoubtedly find something to get lost in here.

Steins;Gate 0 is one of the best stories the visual novel genre has to offer, and stands as a worthy sequel to its critically-acclaimed predecessor.

Feist feels like Limbo and Where the Wild Things Are had a not so fun love child.

If you want a game that feels wholly original and recreates what it used to feel like to get a new SNES game, then Wild Guns Reloaded is the game for you. It's stupid, it's fun, and it makes me yearn for the days when video games weren't so serious all the time.

Thankfully, the flaws here were minor. Batman: The Telltale Series ended on a high note.

I feel like I'm getting my money's worth and I enjoy the tight and polished yet simple gameplay.

Not quite a tech demo but not quite a full adventure, Superhot VR is one of the best virtual reality games you can buy right now.

Dropping a cliff into a steep pillow line is an entirely different feeling to snapping off a groomed park feature, yet in Steep, it all blends into the same thing.

Icey is a fun action packed little indie game that isn’t afraid to get weird.

Darksiders: Warmastered Edition only works if you look at it as a time capsule of a bygone era.

Let It Die is an ambitious game that threatens to charm players, but ultimately falls short due to unpolished gameplay, repetitious level design, and some really awful freemium schemes.

Don’t Open the Doors! is a game with soul. People cared about this game, but the gameplay just isn’t there.

Xanadu Next is a game from a different time, but lovers of older titles and RPG fans will find something to love here.

It's a shame that Root Letter has such abysmal writing, because there truly are some fascinating plot threads to unravel throughout this brief journey.

Kokurase is a text-heavy, visually sparse little adventure with some frustrating issues, yet some people will undoubtedly find something to love here.

Through the Woods is a sad, haunting tale that manages to scare without being cheap or easy, and one of this year’s best horror games.

It’s one of the more addictive games I’ve touched this year. The Dragon Ball fan in me loves the fact that I can fuse Frieza with Cooler, and Arale with Android 18. The RPG fan in me loves the interesting combat and addictive nature of collecting every character and super move. If you fall into either of those categories, then I have no reservations about recommending this. It’s some of the most fun I’ve had with my 3DS this year.

Somewhere underneath the broken gameplay and terrible camera controls lies a lot of potential for a great game.

An unfunny and unfun mess of a game, Dead Rising 4 is a shambling corpse of a once-great franchise. Capcom would be wise to put it out of its misery.

Killing Floor 2 has a lot of potential, and what it has is often pretty fun, but not enough to keep players attention for long.

Telltale’s Batman tale continues to impress and overcome its minor technical glitches to deliver one hell of a dark knight mystery.

It shows that we can still have a game with cross-generational appeal without simply pandering. I can’t think of many (if any) games that do that as well as Maize. Most importantly, though, it reminds us that “fun” and “rewarding” can still coexist, even in a game that I would share with my young nephew.

Super Mario Maker 3DS hits home and aside from a couple mild issues, it’s a dream come true for Nintendo nuts.

Final Fantasy XV is a challenge to modern game design and traditional masculine gaming narratives, on top of being a truly phenomenal, enriching experience. Square Enix has reclaimed its throne.

It’s a product that just makes me tired. Tired of seeing the games from three years ago on store shelves as if they’re new things. Tired of the amount of effort being pulled from making new games and being poured into re-releasing whatever beloved game publishers think they can squeeze a few more dollars out of. Tired, most of all, that it doesn’t seem like this trend is ending or even slowing down.

I may be older now, but thanks to my time with Creepy Castle, I was able to reconnect—if only briefly—with all the wonderful moments in my childhood that have led me to this very moment as a games journalist. That’s a magic that, as a lifelong player, I can’t put a price tag on.

Where Syndrome should have been a love letter to classic sci-fi horror games, it instead feels like a drunken, rambling text sent at three in the morning.

Slayaway Camp checks all the boxes and will slash its way into your heart.

All of the tedium, none of the excitement: Motorsport Manager is the perfect sim to relax to.

The self-indulgent climax, trippy as it is, ultimately doesn’t make good on all of the build-up that had led to that point.

ENIGMA: may provide a unique premise for a mystery story, but don’t expect stellar writing. Hold off on this visual novel until it goes on sale.

While it can feel a little linear at times, there is something magical about the start to any Pokémon adventure, and that’s what makes Pokémon Sun so great.

While Dishonored 2 takes multiple strides to improve off of the original I’m left feeling only half of them hit the mark. The gameplay and the world hooked me in exactly as before and I had high hopes for the story, but the decisive part Arkane Studios wasn’t able to execute on was the choice between playing as one of two characters.

It’s a rare example of a big-budget game looking to make a statement. Even more rare, it succeeds by starting with a central thesis and communicating ideas through player action. That it also manages to be a rip-roaring good time is almost irrelevant. You can patch a framerate, but you can’t patch a story or gameplay, and on those fronts Watch Dogs 2 is nigh unimpeachable.

Tyranny is an exercise in depicting humanity’s worst facets, and it does so in a nuanced, interesting way while being an engaging and accessible CRPG.

Each level feels like a real place, inhabited by real people with their own goals and routines.

A solid installment within the BlazBlue series that will appeal to fans and casual players alike, so long as you already enjoy playing fighting games.

I’d recommend Nobunaga’s Ambition to anyone looking to dip their toe into the turn-based strategy genre. It’s deeply robust in its execution, without being so demanding that it loses its entertainment value. It has incredible replay value and will satisfy fans of the genre and history buffs alike.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare Remastered’s campaign might feel outdated by today’s standards, but its multiplayer remains as addictive and fun as ever.

Call of Duty Infinite Warfare is the most disappointing multiplayer shooter I’ve played in recent memory because it has too many poorly balanced mechanics and systems to create an enjoyable arcade shooter experience.

I’m still kind of confused regarding how I feel about this game, but I can’t stop playing.

Owlboy is a phenomenal adventure that succeeds in telling a captivating story with interesting characters and enjoyable gameplay.

The Assembly is an ugly, jagged mess that is just plain dull with lengthy load times and nauseating gameplay.

Cleary there was a lot of love and fine polishing put in to Sister Location, but Cawthon needs to take more risks.

Tokyo Twilight Ghost Hunters: Daybreak Special Gigs is a refined version of the original, while still maintaining the signature weirdness that made the initial release so charming.

It’s not a perfect game by any definition, but what game is? It’s also not a game that will convert random people into first person shooter fans. What you will find in this game is a series of shooting and platforming set pieces that will make you think, “Wow! I just did that? I am awesome, all hail me!”

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition is an attempt to make a quick buck off gullible consumers.

Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 is a potent Genki Dama to the series’ longstanding issues, and a bigger, better game than the original by every stretch of the imagination. A true must-have for any Dragon Ball fan.

Telltale’s Batman game continues with the most surprising episode yet. This is shaping up to be one hell of a series, despite technical issues.

RIGS: Mechanized Combat League offers some of the only multiplayer available at the PSVR launch, but the shallow gameplay and lack of substantial content make it a tough sell at full sticker price.

Clockwork Empires is broken, buggy, and frustrating, but manages to provide something very fun and satisfying for the right kind of player. There are no easy way to play, but perseverance will be rewarded.

Gotta Protectors is a frenetic and charming celebration of retro Japanese games that rises above its low-fidelity presentation to deliver one seriously addictive experience.

Corpse Party on 3DS is an improvement on an already excellent game.