Overall, Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom met my expectations and exceeded them in certain aspects. While the game does get off to a bit of a slow start, the various puzzles, bosses, platforming sequences, transformations, and much more eventually tie together into an exquisite title. The game is both technically and artistically crafted to provide a focused experience to players quite unlike many other games that captivated me this year. If you had to pick just one side-scrolling adventure platformer to play this year, Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom would not be a wrong choice.

Sony’s MLB franchise continues to prove itself as the top dog in the virtual baseball world. Stunning visuals, silky smooth gameplay and an endless list of enhancements proves there is enough new here to justify the $60 dollar plunge.

In addition to its excellent platforming, puzzles, and action, Psychonauts 2 impresses the most because it treats human frailty and failure with warmth, compassion, and humor that is never cruel or demeaning. Inside our heads, we’re all just bundles of doubt, random connections, ill-considered motivations, and weird memories mixed with kindness, aspiration, and delight. I’m grateful to Psychonauts 2 for the reminder.

If you’ve played one of these games before and somehow didn’t like it, Hitman 3 isn’t likely to change your mind. But it does what it does incredibly well, and is a perfected version of this iteration of Hitman. Truly, I don’t see where they could further refine these games without making more sweeping changes, and I have to imagine that’s what’s next for the team at IO.

Inscryption appears to be a very niche roguelite deck-building card game. But it turns into so much more. It’s a must play for anyone who is a fan of experimental videogame storytelling. Anyone remotely curious, who enjoys a great mystery, should also play without hesitation. This is the highest review score I’ve given in a while, and I wasn’t drawn to the base gameplay at all. Inscryption is a special game, and a wholly unique experience. It’s going to be remembered as a benchmark of videogame storytelling years from now. I could not be more shocked or impressed.

Raw Data is as good as it gets when it comes to VR games.

Doom Eternal cranks the dial to 11, throws gas on the fire, puts the pedal to the metal. Pick any cliche metaphor you want: Doom Eternal holds its slayer horns high and proud, refining just about everything Doom 2016 did well. It’s tense, frantic, and absolutely transcendent. Doom Eternal is metal as f***.

Diablo III: Reaper of Souls is a victory for Blizzard and it’s more than just an expansion; it’s an overhaul of the entire game, finally bringing it to where it should have been right from the start.

All in all, Tombwater is one of my favorite Soulslikes, if not one of my favorite games, period. I’m not usually a fan of Zelda-likes, but I could barely put this one down. And only part of that was because I kept getting lost and wandering into a new miniboss arena.

I don’t need much justification to revisit Final Fantasy VI. If you’re a Final Fantasy fan, this is grade A, top shelf stuff. Full of weird minigames, memorable characters, and a compelling story, VI is an excellent RPG. If you’ve never played it before, you’d be an absolute fool to pass this up. Even if you’ve bought it several times already, I still recommend the game. Square Enix has tried to make the definitive version of this game, and I’d say they more or less succeeded.

The story of Commander Shepard as told through Mass Effect Legendary Edition is excellent. It was groundbreaking a decade ago, and it’s still a powerful tale open to interpretation. Veterans of the franchise need not hesitate: this is a faithful polishing of the original games, with thoughtful changes that modernize the experience. If you’ve never taken a trip with the crew of the Normandy, there’s no better time than now. There’s a mammoth amount of quality content in the Mass Effect trilogy, and it’s all well worth the time investment.

It’s hard to believe that both The New Order and The Old Blood have been topped, but MachineGames has done it again with The New Colossus.

Like all of Vanillaware’s titles, Odin Sphere oozes with quality and polish, and because of this HD re-release, this one’s had extra polish time.

I don’t usually go in for rhythm games, but Final Bar Line proved the exception. While it’s a well-crafted experience, it’s the Final Fantasy connection that really sold me. The quests, the customization, and the heavy dose of nostalgia are all wonderful. Conversely, the art isn’t great, some of the inputs are confusing, and the intended audience is pretty granular. In other words, Theatrhythm Final Bar Line is mostly for Final Fantasy fans. If you fall into that category though, you won’t want to miss this game. It’s a terrific way to revisit your favorite titles in the series.

When you boil it down, Unavowed takes the tried and true formula of the Point-and-Click game and uses it as a stage to talk about humanity. Technical problems and gripes do not sully what was a great experience.

Whether you’re a longtime fan or a newbie that’s looking to try something a little different, rest assured that Katamari Damacy Reroll is the best way to get acquainted with this bizarre, yet endearing franchise. Here’s to hoping this isn’t our last visit from The Prince and King of All Cosmos.

Blizzard Mountain brings a substantial amount of content to an already massive game.

As a fan of both pinball and Star Wars these tables are amazing, top notch, and a joy to play and I am eagerly looking forward to future Star Wars tables being released from Zen Studios.

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

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.

Scholar of the First Sin is a fantastic upgrade and worth the purchase if you never had the chance to play Dark Souls 2 on PC or current gen consoles. Even if you did play through it before, the DLC alone is worth checking out.

Lumines: Arise stands as an interactive work of art and one that truly needs to be experienced. The integration of visuals, gameplay and sound is phenomenal, creating a wonderfully addictive puzzler that stands shoulder to shoulder with Enhance’s previous effort, Tetris Effect. It’s a stunning reminder of how games can move us, not just through challenge, but through the harmony of sight, sound, and touch.

Atlus RPGs are not for everyone by any means. This one, in particular, is even less for everyone than most of them. And yet…! If you are a Persona fan who hasn’t played one of these games in a while, who also missed out on Golden, then this game will be perfect for you. If even one of these conditions isn’t met, I can’t promise you’ll enjoy this ride. If you’ve somehow never played a Persona game, then welcome! This is a prime place to start. Golden is the superlative version of this entry in the series. There’s nowhere else you’ll find such an expert mix of ruthless battles, lovely social interactions, and awesome music. First-time players of all varieties would do well to snag Persona 4 Golden on the PC.

Sonic Mania Plus is absolutely the way to experience this game. I may not have been blown away by the new characters, but Encore Mode is an excellent remix of the Mania I know and love. Whether you’re new to the game or coming back for more, Sonic Mania Plus is worth your time and attention.

Neva offers a unique, spiritual journey through life’s complexities. While the narrative leaves some elements open to interpretation, its grounded aspects make the characters relatable. Though brief, the adventure is full of memorable moments that will captivate you with each step toward its wonderful conclusion. The emotional and thought-provoking journey blends captivating storytelling with immersive gameplay to deliver a truly special experience.

While Spike Lee’s forced linear career mode experiment misses the mark, 2K’s basketball engine is second to none, providing a realistic on court experience that has been modified in some smart ways.

It does exactly what a sequel should do as it retains the roots of an already great game while expanding out into new exciting territory that still feels natural.

Anything with this much text is going to feel slow-paced, and that is for the best. Despite being loads more forgiving than the first brutal installment, Sunless Skies is wicked hard. I’ve only seen half of the games star systems, I’ve botched major quests and started again, and died a dozen times in an hour. But every setback is a learning experience. Some games you play until you get stuck or bored and you quit. Not so with Sunless Skies. Even if I don’t boot it up for a while, I know I’ll be jonesing to captain my locomotive again many, many times.