The animations are visceral, and the buildup of suspense knowing that any hit could remove your player from the game, or remove him from existence, keeps you on edge.

I don’t know how I feel overall about the release schedule and pricing of Paradox expansion packs. Maybe it’s a lot, or maybe it’s a fair price. What I do know is that these big expansions look to change the feel of the game in significant ways. Measured against that standard, Tours and Tournaments is another huge step forward for Crusader Kings, the best emergent narrative RPG/strategy game around!

For veteran gamers, Tomb Raider Remastered I-III is a great time capsule of a very popular trilogy of games that moved the action/adventure genre forward. For recent gamers, this collection is an excellent way to experience the games that the modern action/adventure games of today evolved from.

Ane of the most memorable and enjoyable experiences I have had in quite some time.

Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster is a potent mixture of cosmic horror, religious horror, JRPG action, and pitch-black comedy. As long as you’re prepared to embrace your inner monster, it’ll be a hell of a time.

Fun is a great word for describing Flinthook. It’s fun to play, it’s fun to look at, and it’s fun to explore. Games that are lovingly made are often a treat to play and Flinthook is no exception. If you’re a fan of roguelikes and platformers, treat yourself to one of the best games in the genre.

Hideo Kojima is the physical manifestation of the Director’s Cut. Often times his idea of a nice neat package is like having a 6 hour version of 2001: A Space Odyssey, but I’m ever so grateful for his presence in our industry. He’s not scared to take chances and make something people don’t like, and more often than not, he makes things I like or can at least appreciate. Death Stranding is some combination of all those things. I appreciate it, enjoy playing it, and on this third playthrough became more convinced than ever that there’s something really special here for those willing to take the time to stare at their boots.

Thousand Year Door is a remake done right. The new sound and visuals look terrific. The game's essential identity has been preserved. Plus, the original release is able to shine through with no distractions. It's exactly as wonderful as you remember it being. I'm still impressed with the writing, and the level design is mostly excellent. I still hate the tournament arc, though. And I wish some of the puzzles didn't involve scouring a dungeon until a forgotten button or door is dragged into the sunlight. Although the original release is amazing, it's also nearly impossible to play anymore. For new and old fans, Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door is an essential addition to the Nintendo Switch library.

Just like the original release of Monster Hunter World on PC, the game feels right with unlocked framerates and gorgeous graphics.

There’s not a lot to unpack here. The story is pretty simple, the dialogue gets kind of corny, and the premise is equally stripped down. But this game shines so bright once you actually start playing. You’ve got a host of amazing moves to master. The controls are perfectly fluid and responsive. Plus, the level design is the perfect vessel for mastering said moves. Chaining together skills feels amazing, while traversing the world is speedy and satisfying. Demon Tides is a pure 3D platformer, with little in the way of fat or gristle. All that means is you’ve got nothing between you and all that unfiltered action. Better yet, there’s so much to experience once you start. If you’re looking for the next amazing 3D platformer, Demon Tides should be at the very top of your list.

A fun, thrilling – and yes, very scary ride. Its amazing visuals and fascinatingly-creepy environments will have you hesitating at times, jumping at others, but always pushing onwards to uncover the story of its insane protagonist.

Guilty Gear Strive is a masterclass in design. Each asset has been lovingly crafted with painstaking detail resulting in the best visuals in the genre. The lack of gameplay in the story mode may not appeal to everyone but I applaud their decision to not shoehorn fights into the narrative. Being the most accessible game in the history of the franchise, newcomers should definitely check out this fighter as it’s one of the best ever made.

Overall, Resonance is a highly entertaining game. It has a first-rate story, great aesthetics, and the intangible qualities that make a game hard to put down.

I love Star Wars, I love video games, and Fallen Order is a glorious amalgamation of the two. Though I’ve experienced everything the game has to offer, I genuinely can’t wait to play through it again on the hardest difficulty. At this point, I can only hope Respawn follows it up with a sequel because the force is remarkably strong with this one.

The world of The Eternal Cylinder is the most imaginative surrealist representation I’ve seen to date. You’ll be shaking your head in wonder at just how the hell anyone was able to think up such a design for a creature that just skids across the water. Or the giant floating monsters that want to sit on you. It’s a boon that the gameplay holds up as well and if you ever find it too challenging, it’s easy to turn down various settings to let you sit back and immerse yourself in something you won’t be able to easily describe to your friends. And the longer you play you’ll wonder why more games aren’t this creative in all aspects. I really enjoyed my time guiding my flock of Trebhum from danger to salvation. And I hope you will too. Just remember to roll like you didn’t know you could.

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is a splendid experience crafted intricately by Don’t Nod. The game starts off strong, but a bit of the allure wears off over time as you peek behind the curtains of the various systems within the game. That said, the game’s intriguing narrative, relatively tough decisions, and overall solid gameplay elements make Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden one of the strongest gaming experiences of early 2024.

Complex, full of depth and infinitely customizable, Fallout 4 manages to stand above its glitches and odd subpar animations to be an experience well worth having.

With fantastic presentation, impressive graphics and voice acting, a surprisingly interesting story, a great control scheme, and a huge amount of content, I highly recommend Injustice: Gods Among Us to not only comic book fans and fighting game veterans, but to anyone looking for a game that’s extremely entertaining to play.

Ys X: Proud Nordics feels like a greedy, poorly timed release. But it’s a vastly improved version of an already excellent game. Ys X: Nordics was one of the lesser Ys games, but the changes in Proud Nordics have now put it in the upper echelon of Ys games. There’s tons of new content, and the entire game has been carefully tweaked and rebalanced. If Ys X: Proud Nordics is a cash grab, it isn’t a lazy one. Ys X: Proud Nordics is one of the best action JRPGs ever, and a must-play for Ys fans.

Over and over, I risked certain death to snatch one more scrap of story.

Little Nightmares is a perfect example of doing lots with so little. It succeeds as an excellently taut piece of visual storytelling while also delivering a compelling gameplay experience. It happens to be one of the more unique horror games out there thanks to a detailed art style, fantastic animation, and top-notch sound design.

Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail is a fantastic expansion to the best single player MMO today. There were some hiccups during the game’s prerelease, but since launch, everything’s gone very smoothly. Even on launch day, when traffic was at its height, it only took me 30 minutes to log on, which is a vast improvement from Endwalker’s launch. If you’re curious about playing Final Fantasy XIV, you’ve got hundreds of hours ahead of you, before you make it to Dawntrail’s content. But if you’re at all curious, Final Fantasy XIV is a great introductory MMO, and one that puts its story first. I happily recommend Final Fantast XIV: Dawntrail to all JRPG fans.

If you thought Groundhog Day would have been even more awesome with guns and assassinations or that Dishonored would have been a better game if only Quentin Tarantino had directed it, you’d probably enjoy Deathloop. Despite some issues with pacing, bugs, AI, and mechanical clarity, Deathloop is smart, funny, intricately designed, and driven by engaging action, cool puzzles, and relative freedom to approach its objectives in various ways. Deathloop is an addictive and rewarding shooter and one of the most ambitious action games this year.

If Resident Evil 4 struck the perfect balance between survival horror and AAA action, Separate Ways cranks the lever to full-on action, but in a way that compliments the base game and retains the spirit of Resident Evil.

For the first time in sim racing history, a console version can share the starting grid spot with its PC brother.

Darksiders 2 rises above the rest as a perfect example of what an action-adventure game should be, and if I had my way, Vigil Games would be making them all.

Point and Clicks aren’t usually my thing. Putting things randomly together, making obscure leaps of logic, and cycling through inventories just gets boring for me. But Sunday Gold offers so much more than most Point and Click games. It’s got JRPG-like combat. There’s the fun mini-games. And it’s excellently voice-acted and it looks gorgeous. Sure, the story won’t blow you away but trust me, Sunday Gold is a big game in a little package and it’s definitely worth a look.

Activision and Vicarious Visions could have just used last year’s game engine, added a new story and released it as a new game, but they didn’t. They have taken the existing franchise, added a new twist (swappable characters), upped the visuals and sound, and made a game that is better than those before it.