What Nioh also does incredibly well is blend intense and serious tones with at times light-hearted and silly moments. This deft balance of historical authenticity and far out there fantastical elements is never not entertaining and Team Ninja should be applauded for their ability to combine it all into a believable and engaging world.

Animal Crossing: New Leaf is one of the most relaxing gaming experiences to be had on the 3DS at this time.

Although it can be a little frustrating, Ender Lilies combat-by-proxy is an interesting and generally successful twist on familiar action mechanics, and the game hits the sweet spot between challenge and accessibility most of the time.

Graphically, Uncharted 4 and The Lost Legacy are showing their age just a bit. The new PC release pulls them from the past into something very close to present day standards, not that they ever looked bad. In terms of fun factor, writing and action, Uncharted 4 remains compelling. PC players, your long wait is over. The Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves collection is definitely worth your time and money. If you’ve already played it on PS5, the port isn’t going to be a revelation or substantially different.

The original game was a fantastic teaching tool with a little bit of fun added in, and while Rocksmith 2014 Edition is once again a great guitar teaching tool, it has a whole lot more fun included this time around. This fun factor blurs the lines somewhat as it is way more enjoyable this time around, or at least it feels that way and you may not consider it a guitar-teaching tool at all, which in itself is a testament to the development crew.

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

Street Fighter 6 is a fighting fan’s dream, packed with content and a variety of modes that let you play your way. Capcom has clearly put thought into accessibility, offering the Modern control scheme and even the somewhat questionable Switch 2-exclusive feature, Gyro Battles. World Tour is a fun and silly single-player adventure, though it’s held back by a 30fps cap. Still, Capcom has delivered an impressive port of the fighter with only minor compromises, making this the best way to take the fight on the go.

Trails in the Sky: 1st Chapter blew me away. I’ve always wanted to play more of the Trails series, but, as a console preferer, have seen the PC versions of the Trails in the Sky trilogy as a barrier. This remake has a wonderful world and narrative. It’s action/ turn-based hybrid combat system is incredibly fun to play. My only major complaints are that there are so many terms specific to this game, and so many needless menus early on, that it takes way too much time to realize how familiar the systems are. Trails in the Sky: 1st Chapter is a must-play for JRPG fans. Bring on the 2nd Chapter, because I can’t wait to see where this story goes!

Frostpunk is, without a doubt, not an easy game and requires extensive strategizing and multiple playthroughs to succeed. It takes a lot of effort and a fair amount of alertness to get the job done, but once your decisions prevail and your city is thriving, the sense of accomplishment is unlike no other. With its intense premise and the pressure of making tough choices, Frostpunk is undeniably one of the most challenging and addicting city-building strategy games I have ever played.

Death’s Door is a masterclass in level design. The interwoven areas encourage and reward exploration, whilst the simple yet challenging combat makes confrontations a thrill. With an alluring art style, sorrowful soundtrack, Acid Nerve has managed to create one of the greatest indie titles of 2021.

Devil May Cry 5 excels at bringing back that iconic feeling the franchise is known for and does so with killer style, strategic, fast-paced combat, and a pumping soundtrack. Every cutscene feels like it belongs in a movie, and every battle feels powerful and intense as each new ability is unlocked. The only fault the game has shown me is a drop in frame rate during a few cutscenes but is definitely nothing to be worried about. Devil May Cry is back with a vengeance.

With a brilliant blend of silky smooth yet brutal combat and some memorable stealth sequences, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor offers up some of the best open world combat we have seen in quite some time. It is not without some faults, and will frustrate many to the core, but in the end you are left with an excellent Lord of the Rings game that should please any “Mature” gamer.

The narrative that is put forth is simply amazing as it provides a new beginning with the Reclaimer Saga and the addition of the new Spartan Ops mode is simply brilliant as it adds even more story to an already great tale. Sure, some may complain the familiarity of the gameplay is a bad thing, but in the end, even though you do get a recognizable feeling when playing, the overall experience that Halo 4 provides is very enjoyable and one that you should not miss.

It provided more of what people loved about Bloodborne; fantastic music, cool trick weapons, and monstrous bosses that will kick your ass. If you’d loved Bloodborne as much as I did, this DLC is a must purchase.

It’s a well-founded mix of strategic turn-based battles, resource management, and customization that makes each gameplay unique to its very own player. While XCOM 2 does have some issues with its framerate and loading times, its gameplay overshadows its imperfections and becomes a very small disturbance in a largely enjoyable game.

From stunning visuals and sound to an outstanding cast of characters and a bunch of customization, this game exceeds expectations in nearly every aspect.

My words will never do justice for Ghost of Tsushima’s brilliance. James Paley summed it up better than I ever could: “[Ghost of Tsushima] revealed itself as a compelling, masterful work of art. Nothing feels useless or extraneous. The story wastes little time, the fights are all exuberant and engaging, the exploration is addicting, and the entire game is gorgeous.” I couldn’t agree more. And the Director’s Cut is miles ahead of the original. Go get it.

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.

Basically, if you enjoy 4X games or are a Civilization fan, you have to pick this up. But you didn’t need me to tell you that. It’s already on your list and Sid Meier’s Civilization VI is already in the download queue. If it’s not, you’ve got time right now to remedy that.

On the scale of Final Fantasy games, Remake still soars. The story is laid out with an auteur’s obsessive eye, every scene plucking the heart strings. the battles are a breezy, yet bloody, affair that never goes stale. The graphics are ridiculous, turning every character into a model-beautiful specter sure to haunt your dreams. More than a steady grasp towards the platonic Final Fantasy ideal, this game achieves something unusual. Here then, is the Final Fantasy VII you remember, the shining vision of your youth, untouched by the decays of time. Wherever Square Enix goes from here, we can’t possibly get there soon enough. Miss out on Final Fantasy VII: Remake at your peril.

With just the right mix of nostalgia and new features, as well as beautiful, colourful graphics, and a very impressive online experience, Pokémon X and Y both offer a refreshing change to the much loved series that both newcomers and long time fans can appreciate, and these games are one of the best titles available for the 3DS system to date.

If you’re a fan of old-school animation or like to be challenged, or even both, then check out this one of a kind gem.

After a two year period of slow additions to a barebones initial package, Arcade Edition brings the heat in a ton of new single-player modes and a nearly-doubled roster of fighters to choose from. This is the package the Street Fighter faithful have been waiting for, even if the steps taken to get here feel a little slimy. Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition has reignited my love for the franchise, and the future of SFV shines even brighter.

Balance is important, so I searched high and low for something to cite as could-be-better. I found nothing. Lovingly crafted by Quebec City’s Sabotage Studio, Sea of Stars is quite a departure for the team responsible for The Messenger. It’s a risk that’s resulted in one of the most beautiful, heartfelt, and well balanced RPGs I’ve ever played.

Astral Chain is an excellent action game that uses the Switch’s unique hardware in creative ways. It fits handsomely in PlatinumGames’ excellent catalog and should satisfy anyone who likes Japanese action RPGs, or third-person action games. It is a wholly satisfying experience.

Overall, Steins; Gate could be considered the pinnacle of visual novels with its brilliant storytelling combined with beautiful visuals.

While Yakuza 4 and 5 raised the narrative stakes and added ever-more characters and locales to the Yakuza universe, Yakuza 6: The Song of Life feels smaller and brings the spotlight back to Kiryu, and it feels like the respectful sendoff our beloved hero deserves. While we may get less content in the form of Substories and mini-game activities in this last chapter, less feels like more with the nice visual upgrade and gameplay improvements. No, the Xbox version of Yakuza 6: The Song of Life doesn’t quite feel as latest-gen as the PS4 version I reviewed 2 years ago, but Kiryu’s swan song still kicks some serious ass.

All in all, Star Ocean: The Second Story R is a great experience. If you have the slightest interest in sci-fi, fantasy, and action RPGs, you owe it to yourself to play it. This remake proves that old games can become new and better than ever.