If you’ve been burned by console strategy games in the past, Stellaris: Console Edition will wipe away all of your fears. It’s both innovative and ambitious as a 4X, while also, at the same time, raises the bar for what’s possible with the genre on consoles. Thanks to a clever and surprisingly intuitive controller layout, the console edition of Stellaris stays true to the PC original without any compromises. It might not come with the latest version, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy one of the best and most accessible strategy games in recent years.

While all the components are very familiar, the game is well-designed to be what it is. If a certain feature is derivative, that’s because it works for the story and gameplay experience. You can tell that this game is a labor of love, and it is maintained by a team that not only loves the source material, but loves fun games as well. And since my Switch is portable, I can grind for levels wherever I go, and take the Amazing Flamefist to the levelcap and beyond.

There is truly something here for every hockey fan. Traditionalists who love their basic online and franchise modes, NHL 19 has you covered. For those looking for something fresh, World of CHEL and Ones should be right up your alley. NHL 19 doesn’t exactly reinvent the franchise but it does advance the series forward in this generations of consoles.

I had a lot of fun with Bubsy 4D. The platforming is frantic and flailing, but somehow still precise and forgiving. The writing is corny yet charming. And the visuals feel nostalgic for a world that existed for a handful of Saturday mornings. At the same time, this game can be pretty frustrating. Not nearly as much as I was expecting, but still! A significant reserve of patience and persistence is essential for getting to the end credits. If your memories of Bubsy are either bad or blissfully absent, you may be shocked at what you find here. Although the bar is comically low, this game absolutely clears it. Bubsy 4D is easily the best game in the franchise.

With its wild punk rock vibe, Charlie Murder is a solid game offering up more then the average Xbox Live arcade title. The lengthy campaign is a lot of fun to tear through with friends, and the great soundtrack makes for a fun atmosphere.

Is it a sequel or does it feel more like a remake? The immediate analogy that popped into my head was similar to comparing The Evil Dead to The Evil Dead 2. They both felt very similar even though not entirely the same. I guess in this case it’s a good thing that the original Nidhogg was so well received, it was a pretty great game and so is Nidhogg 2.

I’ll admit it’s a great time. I sank hours into single player, despite my frustrations, and I had even more of a blast with the multiplayer. The Switch is proving itself to be a worthy home for fun party games, and Ninja Shodown is a strong addition to that lineup.

95% of this game is pure excellence.

I’m really glad that a game like Disc Jam has released and has as much polish as it does. I think they went a little overboard with the cosmetics and not enough on character variety, but those minor things that I can overlook since the core of the gameplay don’t rely on those things. It a great game that I could easily recommend on any platform as long as you use a controller.

Overall, World Splitter is a really great and challenging puzzler that may look easy but will leave you scratching your head more often than not. The unique double map and physics mechanics are some of those things that really make World Splitter stand out. The cute and simplistic style is very aesthetically pleasing and helps keep you from screaming at the top of your lungs when you take one step too many at the very end of a map. Challenge your brain and spatial awareness if you dare.

All in all, Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth is a lovely exploration of a side of Moominvalley that fans rarely get to see. I had fun leading Moomintroll through the snow. Existing fans and new ones will have a great time with this game, too.

On the surface, Shadowverse: Champion’s Battle looks like a children’s card game with glorified animation, but it is actually more than that. With solid battles and structured rules, a large variety of cards, and a lot of NPCs specializing in different classes, every time you challenge someone it feels like a completely new experience. While following a cheesy and fun storyline in this RPG, the card game remains consistent and the characters predictable, making it easy to focus on strategizing and advancing to the top. Sure, there are moments where the repetition is evident, but there aren’t many RPGs that don’t require grinding.

With so much to see and do, Swords of Ditto is a heart-warming adventure I simply can’t get enough of.

The Wizards Enhanced Edition is a pretty fun VR fantasy adventure that brings consistent thrills to the PSVR in its cool spellcasting and its polished presentation. You’ll feel like a real, powerful wizard slaying orcs and goblins and lots of other crazy creatures — and the launch price of $24.99 is pretty sweet too. The relatively short length and one-note gameplay might spoil the magic a little bit, but there’s no doubt that this is a VR game that all aspiring warlocks should consider trying.

FIFA 21 is a complete package that will keep football fans hooked for the entire season. Although there are only a few small improvements, the tactical possibilities that these unlock are vast. With Dual Entitlement, meaning you can transfer your progress to next-gen consoles and the fact that it's packed to the goalposts with content, FIFA 21 comfortably takes the golden boot for 2021.

Assassin’s Creed: The Rebel Collection is an easy recommendation. While one game is indeed better than the other, there are still two very strong games for one single price. And you can’t forget the addition of the previously released DLC that makes this whole package an extremely good value. Ubisoft has redeemed themselves with an almost perfect port of Black Flag while understanding the advantages that the Switch had to offer such as the motion controls. And of course Rogue is no slouch either. Ubisoft proves that you can port large scale games with some hard work and passion.

Forgotton Anne is a beautifully-crafted, polished experience that is a couple notches from being a stellar gaming experience.

For anyone who missed it back in 2019, Days Gone Remastered is the best version of a game that’s definitely better than its reputation suggests. Its implementation on PS5 is very well done, and the new game modes are interesting to spend time with. With a haunting open world to explore, a substantial narrative and excellent combat, Days Gone Remastered is a solid action adventure and easy to recommend for fans of the genre.

The Dark Anthologies: Little Hope improves on the franchise’s previous entry in all aspects and is one of the most compelling narratives that I have experienced in recent times. With an incredible ending that left a profound, lasting effect, this is a game that fans of interactive dramas need to experience. Supermassive Games have slowly honed their skills in order to be considered one of the giants in storytelling and Little Hope has left me excited in anticipation of the next entry in what is proving to be a landmark series.

The Yakuza Remastered Collection is not a complete rebuild a la Yakuza Kiwami 1 and 2. While the visuals are much improved over what they looked like as much as 10 years ago, they are definitely showing their age. But with so much story, so many great characters, so many beat-downs to deliver, this is a trio of games that gives you great value for the price (especially if you get it on Game Pass). For series old-timers or newcomers alike, the Yakuza Remastered Collection is a game every Xbox owner needs to check out.

It has been upgraded and polished, for sure; but whether that justifies purchasing a whole new game is questionable. Last year, I had no hesitation in recommending that you buy NHL 16. This year, as great of a game as NHL 17 is, you might want to stay on the bench for this one.

It’s exciting, not disappointing, that there’s so much left undiscovered for me, and I can’t wait to pick up GHOST’s world again, only for some dour fast-food employee to tell me to get lost. Gladly, I’ll say, in this hypothetical scenario I have created inside a video game for myself. I’ll gladly get lost.

Though Stellaris has its blemishes and can bog down in the middle, it’s an intergalactic success more often than not. It looks and sounds superb, and provides an infinity varied experience through its random elements.

Aside from the less than stellar implementation of the multiplayer #IDARB is a boat load of fun, easy to pick up and will have you laughing for hours. This Canadian made game manages to shine in nearly every department.

From the Wii-like characters and its entire eye-popping arcady graphical design to its surprising variety and depth, Super Mega Baseball 2 provides a fun and exciting twist to a sometimes boring and cumbersome sport (sorry baseball fans).

World to the West is a clever, bright, and very enjoyable adventure platformer with increasingly difficult challenges, unique and lovable characters, a host of great skills both from the start and to unlock, and it really is just a pleasure to get lost in the story.

In a deluge of Soulslikes and 2D Metroidvanias, 2021’s Tails of Iron stood out, thanks to its beautiful art, excellent combat, and engaging premise. All of that’s true for Whiskers of Winter. The sequel is just as visually distinctive and narratively interesting. The game’s combat can be extremely challenging, but this time there are options for dialing back the difficulty, which makes the game slightly more accessible to less hardcore ARPG fans. Tails of Iron 2: Whispers of Winter doesn’t radically reinvent the first game’s art or approach but definitely improves and deepens it. Anyone feeling fatigued with copycat pixel art Soulslikes should give Whiskers of Winter a try.

At first glance, Realm of Magic can seem barren. However, it’s all a guise as the true game begins in its mystical new realm of Glimmerbrook. All in all, The Sims 4: Realm of Magic is a ton of fun. With a bunch of newly added features to take your Sims game to the next level and a ton of different new paths to experience, this game pack does not disappoint.