Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is a strong sequel that improves on nearly every core element seen in Fallen Order. Even in spite of some pacing troubles with its story, Cal Kestis is an even more compelling protagonist this time around and continues to be one of the best new Star Wars characters that has come about in the Disney era.

My opinion of Starfield is overall high despite what my many criticisms might suggest. It's a Bethesda RPG, and even Bethesda's middling options blow competitors out of the water when it comes to choice and freedom, so Starfield was always going to be a success. Whether it's enough of a success to uplift Xbox and make someone buy a new console is another discussion, but Starfield itself is perfectly competent and – dare I say it – fun, and even the most frustrating moments were unable to deter me from wanting more.

Although Assassin’s Creed Shadows has some cumbersome flaws that can’t be overlooked, including ones that have been present in the series since its inception, it is a strong action-adventure game that I will likely keep investing in for weeks to come.

While much of MGS Delta does qualify as a remake, other aspects felt like Konami was simply cutting corners and, if anything, playing it a bit too safe. The result is a game that is still a ton of fun to play and is likely the best way to play Snake Eater in 2025. Still, with the original version of Metal Gear Solid 3 readily available on modern platforms, I would have preferred Delta to take some bolder swings and be reimagined from the ground up to truly differentiate it from its source.

If you have been longing for another Batman game in the wake of Batman: Arkham Knight releasing almost ten years ago, I really cannot recommend Arkham Shadow enough. While it requires a bit of a heavier investment as it’s only available on Meta Quest 3, I struggle to believe that any Batman fan will be disappointed by what Camouflaj has done with Arkham Shadow. It’s not only one of the best VR games that I’ve ever played, but it’s a Batman experience that very much earns its place amongst the Arkham games that have come before. If VR ends up being the predominant medium in which Batman: Arkham titles are released in the future, you won’t find me complaining.

The Dragon Quest I + II HD Remake is a remarkable effort to revitalize classic RPGs for modern audiences. Dragon Quest I remains a charming, approachable experience that is improved but still basic, making me wish it received new content. Dragon Quest II, however, stands out with meaningful new content, expanded maps, and strategic gameplay enhancements that make it worth the price of admission on its own. Despite some small shortcomings, these remakes show how classic RPGs can be updated without losing their essence. For longtime fans, this is a trip down memory lane with a modern polish, and for newcomers, it’s an accessible and engaging entry into the early Dragon Quest universe, especially ahead of Dragon Quest VII Reimagined.

Nioh 2 is the kind of action game that's clearly targeted towards a certain type of gamer. It’s an incredibly difficult game, and gamers that don’t have the patience or commitment to learning its various intricacies just aren't going to get as much out of the game. However, fans of the original title and gamers that enjoy that kind of difficulty level will find that they will get out of Nioh 2 what they’re willing to put into it.

Arc Raiders is the rare live-service shooter that actually feels alive, one that balances action, tension, and artistry. It’s not perfect, but it is close. The few issues I have with the game don’t detract from the overall gameplay loop, leaving an incredible experience. Embark Studios has released one of the finest shooters of this year, one that feels like it can contend for Game of the Year against stacked competition.

Even if I wasn’t as impressed with The Great Circle on Switch 2 compared to other, similar ports, it was still an enjoyable experience. If you can get past minor visual weirdness and a smidge of lag, this version of the game will serve you well. And if you’re a Switch 2 only houseshold, there’s officially no need to miss out on this latest Indiana Jones adventure. But if I had the choice, I’d probably play this one on a platform with a big more processing power.

With lush graphics, fun gameplay, and a ton to see and do, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a must-play for fans of the series, or anyone that has ever wanted to try a Kirby game. This year marks Kirby's 30th anniversary, and the future for the series has never looked brighter.

Even though it's not without some faults, A Plague Tale: Requiem is likely one of the better games I have played this year. In a time where story-driven action games are starting to become more sparse, Asobo continues to prove with Requiem that it's very much capable of assisting with carrying the torch within this genre. I'm not sure if we'll see future Plague Tale titles come about in the future, but given the leap that has been seen with Requiem, I'm definitely hoping that this isn't Asobo's final outing in this space.

There's no denying Death Stranding: Director's Cut's technical achievements. It's incredibly immersive, putting every new capability built into the PlayStation 5 to the test and coming out triumphant. If you were disappointed by Death Stranding's unwieldy gameplay the first time around, the Director's Cut isn't going to win you over. But if Kojima's storytelling took you in, this will be a worthwhile upgrade.

The challenges and style make the latest installment in the Crash Bandicoot series instantly feel like one of the classics, but there are so many new features and abilities that the game is several steps ahead of its predecessors. It's both a throwback to the past and an innovative glimpse into the future, striking a balance that so few reboots and sequels are able to find. If you love Crash, It's About Time is as close to perfect as you can get, even if it makes you break a controller now and then.

This is about as realistic as you can get for a console racing game, but don't let that intimidate you. F1 2021 is the total package, a Day 1 purchase for racing fans that is sure to win over newcomers with ease.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon is in the running for 2020's Game of the Year, blending some amazing mechanics, compelling storytelling, and flawless gameplay. Even if you're new to the series, this is a must-buy if you own any of the video game consoles that it will be released on later this month.

For those curious about this franchise and are looking for a great way in, there's no better time to do so than now as the fighter is more welcoming than ever. Guilty Gear is back, and it wants everyone to party.

While it doesn't do everything perfectly, Hogwarts Legacy stimulates the imagination with a rich world to explore and gameplay that empowers and thrills the player. The Harry Potter films had the tough task of taking words on a page and creating a visual language for them. Hogwarts Legacy had the even tougher task of taking that visual language and making it interactive, ultimately expanding it all into something that is fun to play and immerse yourself in. Although there's still a long year ahead of us and tons of great looking games on the horizon, Hogwarts Legacy is already one of the best games of 2023.

With as far as Village reaches and as much as it tries to incorporate into one short experience, it has more successes than shortcomings to show for its efforts. It’s not perfect, though it shows how Resident Evil can grow outside of its comfort zones while still managing to pay respects to history and satisfy all types of players.

Spider-Man: Miles Morales tells an intimate, emotionally resonant superhero story about a young hero trying to live up to the role models that inspired him and do right by the community that supports him. The subtle marriage of gameplay progression to themes helps make the story that much more engrossing. The boss fights could be more impressive, and the side content can, at times, feel perfunctory. But the game is fun, poignant, and powerful all the same. Spider-Man fans should be swinging high while playing.

Lies of P: Overture’s ability to augment and improve goes beyond the story; it’s the ideal companion to just about every part of the base game. Its wealth of new enemy types present fresh new obstacles to overcome, the stages they inhabit are intricately detailed and narratively justified, and its boss battles hit or exceed the high standard set in the original release. Even though an overture is the musical portion that comes before a symphony or performance, Overture is a remarkable note to go out on and raises the bar even higher for the upcoming sequel.

Even with hobbled online offerings, Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection is a lovingly constructed tribute to one of the medium’s most important franchises. Digital Eclipse’s signature timeline menu and array of well-produced (if sometimes overly safe) documentary clips lay out the necessary context that walks players through Mortal Kombat’s importance, culminating in a newly streamlined game that acts as a playable museum exhibit. Cheap, quarter-munching AI means not many of these titles have aged well, but an extraordinary amount of tweaks and options ensure these renditions are presented in the best possible light and offer some protection against the sands of time. Soft-pedaling the series’ weaker moments is disappointing, but this thorough collection is, for the most part, the historical deep dive Mortal Kombat has deserved and opens the door for another chapter that thoughtfully explores its divisive 3D era.

Super Mario RPG has aged fantastically well, with great gameplay, a terrific story, and some excellent characterization. Developer ArtePiazza has added just enough quality of life improvements to refine the experience, while still maintaining the elements that made it a classic in the first place. For those that have never played it before, Super Mario RPG is a very easy recommendation, but those that have played through it a number of times over the last 27 years might find that there isn't enough new content to rationalize the $60.

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a tightly packed platformer that heartily succeeds in realizing what Ninja Gaiden is and ends before it can even begin to waver. By prioritizing tight controls and deliberately crafting levels that push players to take full advantage of them, it’s able to resurrect 2D Ninja Gaiden without all the rage-inducing nonsense that’s better left in a bottomless pit. And The Game Kitchen does this while also injecting its own ideas and style into the game so it’s more than a simple retread of past concepts. Ragebound embraces history and modernity, and, in the process, sets up a promising future for Ninja Gaiden as a whole.

DOOM: The Dark Ages is chronologically the first DOOM game in the most recent trilogy, but it also feels like it was developed first. While it’s got rousing gunplay that prioritizes parries and weaponized defense, it’s also got enough fluff — a less tactical Glory Kill system, merely passable vehicle sections, a campaign that meanders near the end — that’s unbecoming for a game that came after two tightly tuned installments. But even with these flaws, id has still crafted an experience that stands tall in an ever-shrinking market of single-player first-person shooters.

Even a world as robust as Ghost of Tsushima’s has to run out of things for players to do eventually, and depending on how invested you were in pursuing every thread and hunting for collectibles and ways to make Jin more powerful, you may not have much to do at a certain point other than barrel through the last few quests of the main story.

If you’ve downed Persona 5 and Persona 5 Royal and maybe even Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight and still want more of the Phantom Thieves in your life, Persona 5 Strikers should absolutely be your next stop. Even without an overwhelming need to play it simply to see more of these characters, it still manages to be a solid video game with stylish art and action. That “action” doesn’t always line up with the expectation of what a Persona title is and can be, but for a spinoff, it lands its beats more often than not. And it’s not even the rhythm game.

On the one hand, I am having a blast playing Dynasty mode and am loving the customization and pageantry of collegiate sports. On the other, I can't help but notice the Madden bugs in the system that we've been dealing with for at least five years, and I'm a little bummed that every other mode feels like the team ran out of time. At the end of the day, College Football is back, and the foundation EA has built is solid enough that I am very excited to see what the future holds. That's about all I can ask for.

While the games have their limitations (the lack of an in-game chat feature has always been frustrating), I always thought that the bar to enjoying these games were much lower than standard shooters, if only because the primary objective is never to "splat" enemies. Luckily, Nintendo didn't switch up its already successful Splatoon formula for Splatoon 3. The game feels bigger than its predecessors, but most of the major changes are meant to improve players' quality of life in game. While some might feel frustrated by the seeming lack of innovation in Splatoon 3, I found that the game understands what works with Splatoon and keeps with it, making only modest changes to make an already fun experience even better.