It’s a deeply engrossing text-based adventure with a rich narrative, amazing dialogue, and a story that continually gets better and better. It’s beautifully crafted and should be praised for its taut storytelling, which only proves that video games — just like films, tv shows, and books — are capable of telling incredible and impactful stories.

The Artful Escape is by turns psychedelic, moving, exultant, and lovely. The central metaphor of a young performer bringing fantastic new worlds into existence through the art of music is a powerful one, and while the theme of a struggling musician finding his authentic voice while paying homage to the past might not be a new one, it’s certainly new to videogames. The Artful Escape only missteps when it tries too hard to be a game, ironic given the story’s premise of search for authenticity. Aside from that, The Artful Escape is a surprising and joyous exploration of the power of collaboration, the struggle for identity, and the mind-blowing, life-altering sound of the very loud galactic symphony.

Sifu is built around the idea of mastering a skill. Whilst this is the mantra of the protagonist, you will also play by this code and refine your skills after each attempt. The combat is sophisticated, containing enough variety and depth to be challenging yet accessible. Without any difficulty options, some may struggle as it requires time and patience, however, learn the mechanics and you’ll find one of the greatest and most rewarding fighters in the genre.

Yakuza 0 is one of the greatest entries in the long-running series, and the Switch 2 port is masterfully executed, offering excellent performance alongside new features. While the new online mode may not quite hit the mark, the core campaign remains incredible, and the added cutscenes enhance the overall experience. Although there isn’t much new content for returning players, this version serves as the perfect entry point for newcomers to the series.

Monster Hunter: World takes everything the series does well and arguably does it better.

Islets is a lot of fun, but it can’t quite match up to Hollow Knight’s sharp controls and design. Perhaps true to its setting, Islets feels a little floatier. There were times where I just couldn’t figure momentum out and I biffed the same jump again and again. The hitboxes on the characters feel a little wide to me; sometimes I would contact with an enemy I definitely should have missed. But different isn’t necessarily bad! It’s as if the game is incredibly easy or way too hard. The level of challenge feels like it’s just in that Goldilocks Zone. There’s enough cleverness in the level design that you can’t help but admire it. I think there’s still plenty of room left in the hand-drawn indie Metroidvania genre. (Silksong isn’t even out yet!) Islets is another standout in the genre, fun and charming.

In a time where some of the best and worst titles sell for 50 or 60 dollars, this is some of the most fun I’ve had in a while and all for a minimal hit to your wallet.

If you do not already own Black Ops 2 for any other console, and you are a COD fan who has picked up a shiny new Wii U console, then you will inevitably want to pick up Black Ops 2 at it is a purchase that is really a no-brainer.

A good roguelike leaves you as enchanted as you are frustrated. Tamarak Trail is a good roguelike. If you don’t play this game, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Play Tamarak Trail.

Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled is a top-notch kart racer. There is just a ton of content here that should keep avid fans busy for months to come. The Adventure Mode is pretty decent, with just the right amount of humor thrown in, although the difficulty levels probably could use some tweaking. Easy was way too easy, Medium was a bit too hard, and Hard was… well, not worth the frustration. However, the positives far outweigh the negatives and I wouldn’t be surprised if most of the issues I’ve mentioned are addressed in future patches. Needless to say, if you’re looking for a fun, racing game, you really can’t go wrong with Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled.

But even if it can’t quite measure up to Yakuza 0’s near-perfection, Yakuza Kiwami is still a thoroughly enjoyable experience for series veterans and newcomers alike. Whether you’re playing it as a sequel to Yakuza 0, or just want to see the original game in its newly-polished state, you’ll find it is packed with great stories, interesting diversions, and cool surprises – and all of that at $29.99 US. This series just keeps getting better and better.

If Destiny is judged on the game itself without falling victim to the unreachable expectations placed on it then it stands out as an amazing new IP. Never before has a game managed to merge separate genres quite so successfully and despite some of its flaws it does a lot of things right.

Regardless of the technical shortcomings, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time with Phantom Liberty and the 2.0 update. This isn’t the same Cyberpunk 2077 that broke your heart three years ago. It’s a new game. A new era, if you will. Sure, it was a long time coming, but the old adage “better late than never” exists for a reason, right? Led by a great performance from the incredible Idris Elba, the developers at CD Projekt Red have righted the wrongs of their past and can finally hang their hats on Cyberpunk 2077. Phantom Liberty is worth your time. Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 is worth your time. Shake off the cobwebs and get back out to Night City. You won’t regret it.

With more characters and levels on the way, Broforce is positioned to kick ass and take no prisoners for a long time to come.

With 45-songs out the box and numerous new features to get your booty shakin', the Dance Central franchise has once again shown why they are the crème of the crop when it comes to dancing games on Xbox 360 console.

Resident Evil 4: Separate Ways is exactly what fans wanted from the Ada Wong-focused story. It improves on the original, giving more depth to the protagonist’s character and progressing her narrative. The acrobatics of the special agent opens up new gameplay options which allows the heroine to latch on to ledges and superkick enemies. While you don’t have complete freedom with the grapple gun and the runtime is short, there are no wasted moments which makes Separate Ways a joy from start to finish.

The Banner Saga comes to Nintendo Switch via a fantastic and faithful port, its dire tale of survival and strategy completely intact. It plays well, it looks fantastic, and every battle and dialogue choice is here for the taking.

Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade on the Nintendo Switch 2 is a remarkable feat. Not only does the mammoth title run exceptionally well, but it also looks incredible. Compared to the PS5 version, the FPS is lower, however, there aren’t many other compromises to mention. Cloud’s epic adventure retains its cinematic punch, emotional weight, and exhilarating combat, making this one of the most impressive third-party showcases on Nintendo’s latest hardware.

The old archaic way of playing with the five button layout and waiting for DLC drops are gone. Instead you get a magnificently redesigned controller with a music streaming service designed to give you an infinite amount of hours to get your jam on.

Rise of the Tomb Raider isn’t the biggest open world game. It doesn’t have the most quests or the most collectibles, and heck, you don’t even climb tall structures without a darn good reason. What Rise of the Tomb Raider has in spades is balance. Everything about the experience screams quality, and every objective has a good reason for existing.Those things make this small, tightly woven world more entertaining to explore than others, and consequently Rise of the Tomb Raider is a freakin’ great experience.

Skylanders Imaginators is a dream for gamers who love to customize, platform, and just blow stuff up. The customization options are both easy to use for beginners and advanced enough to make some truly fantastic creations. Combat can be wonderfully chaotic but the lack of dodging or sprinting can make it uncharacteristically slow considering how frantic the game is otherwise.

With a song list this large and almost every major Final Fantasy character there’s ever been, wrapped up in an incredibly cute art style, Curtain Call is an absolute fan server for Final Fantasy diehards.

Astalon: Tears of the Earth is a great reminder of what small developers can achieve with simple graphics and simpler controls. I would heartily recommend it to anyone who craves some old-fashioned platforming action and isn’t afraid to die a lot. Just remember to turn off the flashing lights and screen shake if you’re sensitive to that.

RAD is a fun, weird, rogue-like game that is incredibly approachable for all players. Whether you love the challenge of sudden death or you just want to branch out, Double Fine has made a game that caters to both sides and has fun doing it. The heavily 80’s inspired content is refreshing and quite enjoyable from the soundtrack and over-saturated colors to cassette tapes and floppy disks as currency. Every death is met with joy and curiosity as to what horrible cartoonish monstrous limbs I’ll mutate in my next run and I could easily play for hours on end.

The DLC is excellent, and the portability is aces. If you’ve never played Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom before, then the Switch’s Prince’s Edition is a must play for any JRPG fan. My only complaints are about what the game doesn’t have. Everything it does have is wonderful. It’s kind of worth it for the strange intro alone.

I had a great time with Loop Hero. I just wish I’d been able to unlock the Necromancer class sooner. Smashing my enemies with an army of summoned skeletons is amazing.

As someone who’s been craving for another adventure game for nearly 20 years, Thimbleweed Park is, indeed, the perfect comfort food.

My actual car is covered in grime and road dirt, but I’m happy to ignore the laborious task of washing it in favor of doing the same task in virtual reality. PowerWash Simulator has always been an addictive, relaxing, and satisfying game. PowerWash Simulator VR feels like a game that has found its true home and the most convincing version of itself possible. It’s a great addition to the growing library for the Quest 3.