There is no question that the free update makes The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt a better game. It looks better, it controls better and the many, minor improvements add up to a significantly improved experience. The Netflix-based DLC is not a cheap tie-in but a well-made and completely integrated new chapter worth playing. Short of an actual remake, the update brings a seven-year-old game within spitting distance of the best current-gen title. The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt update breathes new, exciting life into a genuine classic.

I don’t think The Witness is a contender of the best game ever, but I do think it’s one of the best puzzle games out there. It does everything a puzzle game should do and does it well. I would like to see a bit more opportunities to interact with objects in the world, but I completely understand why that wasn’t part of the “deliberate” design architecture. Quite simply, The Witness has been one of the best experiences in gaming I’ve had in a long time, probably in about 7 years.

Rest assured, if you love a great story told with devastating style, you need to play through Nier Automata several times.

Overall, Dragon Age: Inquisition is a great game that everyone should have in their collection. It’s one of the best bangs for your buck out there in terms of how much time you will clock in on this one and also in quality.

With so much content, numerous game modes, beautiful graphics and the seemingly endless collectibles to find, this is a game that can be played for not just months, but years to come. There is truly something to offer for all audiences.

It has been a very long time since I played a game as assured, polished and emotionally affecting as Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2. The first game was impressive, but the sequel brings everything Ninja Theory was trying to do into sharp, unforgettable focus. Senua's new journey is epic and harrowing, told through cinematic visuals. jaw-dropping graphics and gameplay mechanics that feel at one with the story. It's a saga of sadness, courage, challenge and redemption, told by masters of their craft.

God of War Ragnarök is an amazing achievement and it remains a must-play game for fans of action-RPGs. The port to PC is a model of technical polish, smart changes, and generous content. If you haven’t played God of War Ragnarök, and have a moderately powerful PC, it’s time. If you’ve played it on PS5 and have a good to high-end rig, playing it on PC is not only worth your time, but an even more impressive experience than on the console.

New graphics and sound design aside, it’s still Demon’s Souls. And even after a decade and many Souls games now on the shelf, Demon’s Souls core is absolutely rock solid. With all the layers subsequent games added stripped away… wow. It speaks volumes about how well-designed From Software’s first take was. Swings are strategic. Dodge rolling is a survivor’s essence. Knowing when and how to engage each enemy is just as important as your stats. New motion-captured animations only add to the beautiful dance of death on display. You’ll sweat as hard here as you did the first time and you’ll be pissed when you die but ecstatic about your triumphs.

The Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection is a dream come true for Mortal Kombat fans. There are multiple versions of every Mortal Kombat game, up to, and including, Mortal Kombat 4. The package has exhaustive extras, including a long documentary about the history of the series. Almost every game has online play with rollback netcode. And Mortal Kombat Trilogy has its load times and bugs fixed, so players can have every character in one game. My only complaints are minor, and that some of the games are awful. But I’m so glad those awful games are included, for completion’s sake and for nostalgic reasons. If you have any love for Mortal Kombat, the Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection is a must-buy. It’s arguably the best retro game collection of all-time.

This is a glorious VR game. It will take you about 5 to 6 hours to finish, but you can easily lose time just taking in everything you see. The only niggle with the game is a lack of replayability. There is nothing extra to entice one to play again. However, the journey and spectacle of a single run is totally worth it. If you are looking for a premium VR experience that fills you with a sense of awe and wonder, Red Matter 2 is the ticket. Developer, Vertical Robot is one to keep an eye on.

Ni No Kuni is a timeless masterpiece of a JRPG. The only reason to not own it is if the JRPG genre is just not your cup of tea. But if it is, you’ve got up to 100 hours of engaging game ahead of you, and those hours will not be forgotten.

SpiderHeck is one of the most enjoyable local multiplayer games I’ve played in a very long time. This game takes elements from beloved games such as Smash Bros., Worms, and N+ to combine into a wild experience that was both exciting and humourous. There were times when we would burst out laughing at the insanity on screen. SpiderHeck would make a perfect addition to any game night, especially when playing locally. There are a couple of issues that I’d love to see addressed. I should be able to sign all local players into their own accounts, but this isn’t the case. I wish there were a few more customization options for difficulty and accessibility. And I’d love the ability to create my own arenas. Despite these minor issues, SpiderHeck is absolutely brilliant. Grab some friends and play it as soon as possible.

Idol Manager is a comprehensive and in-depth business simulator that presents its financial data in a format that is both pleasant and digestible. Creating content is fun because of its melting pot approach. Making personalized content would be fantastic if it weren’t so important to follow what the game determines is “cool.” As fun as it is to engage with Idol Manager’s business mechanics, watching a woman’s value reduced to a trading card puts a damper on things.

A Plague Tale: Requiem doesn't reinvent what made the first game great. Instead, it builds on what worked and makes everything better. From graphics and sound to combat, A Plague Tale: Requiem adds a layer of depth a polish we didn't even realize was missing the first time around. A lot of gamers missed A Plague Tale: Innocence, but everyone should play this altogether amazing sequel.

Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition takes one of the best games last year and makes it better.

So while Horizon Forbidden West isn’t changing the rules of the genre, it’s an excellently crafted, entertaining, and satisfying adventure. It looks phenomenal and offers a sandbox of gameplay that remains just as unique as the original. Is it more of the same? In a way, I suppose. But I know I wouldn’t say no to more of Horizon Zero Dawn as it was 5 years ago, and Forbidden West is an improvement in nearly every way.

Well worth the wait. Building off of the massive success of The Stick of Truth, Fractured But Whole has an incredibly satisfying combat system that leaves you constantly eager for the next fight, exemplary and natural dialogue from everyone in town, and a truly epic soundtrack.

LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a blast to play through and only excites me for what comes next.

There is no doubt many will turn their nose at yet another Call of Duty game running on the same engine at 60 frames per second. The "ain't broke don't fix" path has certainly been taken again. This being said, Treyarch has undeniably been able to up the ante in nearly every facet of the Call of Duty experience with Black Ops 2. The riveting single player storyline features the wonderfully-designed strategic Strike Force Missions; the online Multiplayer experience is much more robust than ever before and the Zombies mode has also received significant upgrades. It is quite amazing how the development team managed to fit this much content onto one disk. Needless to say, shooter fans can purchase Black Ops 2 with confidence.

Shadow of War improves upon its predecessor in nearly every conceivable way. The story is more engaging and full of fascinating characters, the Nemesis System has been fleshed out to feel deeper and less formulaic, and all the additions to combat and progression are more than welcome. It may not be canon, but this is without a doubt the best game to take place in Tolkien’s expansive universe.

I think it’s no exaggeration to say that Immortality is often brilliant. The acting, writing, editing and videography are meticulously intentional and if the path through the woods isn’t always clear, the trees are unfailingly interesting to study. While it isn’t perfect, I’m glad that games like Immortality exist. There are so many games that are sequels, copycats, reboots, remakes and retreads that you forget what originality actually looks like. All of Barlow’s games have been excellent but Immortality is probably the richest and most thought-provoking of the three.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps is indeed a challenging game, but one not so hard as to be rage-inducing. It is beautiful in its aesthetic, gameplay, and narrative. Whether you are coming to this as a seasoned gamer who wants a challenge or someone who just loves the game's beauty, it is simply a joy to play and will captivate you for hours.

Asgard’s Wrath 2 is one of the most impressive open world RPGs I’ve played in any format. That it’s in VR and on a wireless headset is sort of astounding. Asgard’s Wrath 2 is simply a must-play for new Quest 3 owners and a compelling reason to pick up the hardware. It’s hands down VR’s Game of the Year.

The Quarry is a significant evolution of the formula established with Until Dawn. This time around the performance capture, cinematography and complex branching story are even more impressive. The game's biggest achievement, though, are its setting, narrative and characters. While they don't entirely transcend the stock tropes of genre fiction, they are far and away some of the best in any videogame and absolutely the equal of big-budget horror films. The Quarry is a must-play for horror fans. Gamers who enjoy great narratives, memorable characters and intriguing choice-driven mechanics will love it too.

One of the pinnacles of last-gen gaming is presented as one of the best looking games on offer for your new console if not one of the best looking games you’ve ever seen, period.

Diablo IV is the true successor to the second game, returning the franchise to its dark, gothic roots with a wild, operatic narrative and bold characters. Gameplay is as addictive as ever, and the sprawling campaign is only the start of a massive amount of content to experience. While Blizzard keeps nudging Diablo's design towards MMORPG-style multiplayer and co-op, there's no lack of fun for solo players, even if some bosses are better with friends. With off-the-charts production values and compelling characters and combat, Diablo IV is just about as good as the genre can get.

I can’t help but love Shovel Knight. Maybe it’s because it reminds me of why I love gaming; the joy I felt as a kid playing games in a time when graphics and hardware didn’t matter. While paying tribute to the classics, Shovel Knight still feels unique with fantastic level designs that are extremely challenging and rewarding to complete.

The title definitely packs a heck of a lot of bang for your buck and wins the top spot out of all Pokémon titles in my books. At the end of the day, if you are a fan of the series or not, this latest Pokemon title is a must have game for the DS, plain and simple.