If you haven’t played Resident Evil 4, it’s still absolutely worth playing. It’s a definite classic that stands along with the likes of Half Life 2 as one of the best games of its generation.

Far Cry 3 was a really late game for this year but maybe it's better that way as it has nothing to compete against and gives everyone the chance to see this great game for themselves. This is a nice way to wrap up a questionable year in gaming and Far Cry 3 actually stands out as one of the best games of this year.

Dragon Quest VIII is a fun RPG that will attract fans looking for that traditional experience. The game is on the lengthy side. The main story took me roughly 60 hours, and that number doesn’t include sidequest completion or the new postgame content. Either way, the game’s rich story and polished traditional battle system will keep RPG enthusiasts engaged throughout. This is one of the most accessible Dragon Quest titles, offering an epic story with fully-voiced cutscenes and likable characters. While the graphics and music may not be the most ideal, Square Enix makes up for it by removing random battles and improving quality-of-life. New characters, cutscenes, and sidequests may even entice veterans to journey on a second time. With all of its upgrades and additions, the 3DS port of Dragon Quest VIII is the definitive version of this classic RPG.

Japanese video games are often equal to anime and manga, it doesn’t matter in what format you’re enjoying the stories. The Caligula Effect: Overdose, too, makes you forget you’re playing a game but rather, experiencing a piece of Japanese popular culture.

The visuals are top notch, the gameplay is solid from beginning to end, and the experience is exactly what you would want from a Battlefield game.

As you get to the later levels of the game the strategy becomes even more complex and the game starts going at its full potential.

Kentucky Route Zero is a beautiful and artistic piece of of work and I haven’t felt so strongly about a game since Silent Hill 2. After The Walking Dead made a case for powerful episodic narratives I found myself wanting something similar. I’m incredibly excited to see what the next four episodes will do.

Martial arts have always been fascinating. BioWare creates a thoroughly enjoyable game as this RPG features an engaging plot and solid real-time fighting system.

Thanks to its outstanding writing, acting, cinematography and animation, Yakuza 0 tells an effective and surprisingly nuanced story of one man and his early journey through the complex world of organized crime. Although it marginalizes women to the role of cliche props and some of the dialogue -- in translation, at least -- rings a little hollow, Yakuza 0 is still a great introduction to both the series and its long-running characters. With an almost impossibly large number of things to do and combat that is brutal and entertaining throughout, Yakuza 0 has to rank as one of the most memorable and successful entries in the franchise.

When A Way Out works, it’s one of the most magical video game experiences around. It’s not always perfect, but it’s such a breath of fresh air that even when it doesn’t quite gel, it’s still a joy to play. I loved A Way Out. I think it’s one of the more unique and interesting games released in recent memory.

F1 2017 is a game that’s built for F1 fans. It does a really admirable job of bringing people like me along for the ride, but I think it rewards fans over and over again with an amazing F1 experience. Even though I’m not the biggest F1 fan I fell in love with F1 2017 and see it as a game that I’ll keep coming back to long after this review is published.

Bug Fables is a truly excellent spiritual successor to the original Paper Mario format. It’s made with loving care and is a lot of fun, and I cannot recommend it enough to those who want to re-live the first two Paper Mario games, or just anyone who wants to play a cute RPG with a lot of heart.

It's business as usual for our favorite platformer, as the 3rd iteration offers more mini-games, 3D missions and drop dead gorgeous visuals.

Magrunner: Dark Pulse is a great puzzle game that you might be tempted to dismiss as being unoriginal. If you make that mistake, you will be cheating yourself out of a memorable experience.

For those that are hoping for just a massive and bloody brawl, you're not going to find it in Bully. It's a game that almost everyone can identify with, and getting your character through school is a complex yet simple experience, made fun by the pacing and the sheer amount of things that you can do.

Although some will be disappointed with the lack of multiplayer gameplay, to me the gorgeous visuals built around one of the best platforming experiences makes for an all around great experience.

Resident Evil: Revelations is a great return to form for the Resident Evil franchise and a wonderful start to 2012 in terms of gaming, if you're looking for something to play on your 3DS or something to play in general, do not hesitate to pick this up.

Clocking in at just over an hour and a half, Episode 3 has been the shortest on time, and yet still managed to bring the heat with some great scenes and set pieces. With as much as they have riding on their shoulders, the fact that Minecraft: Story Mode hasn’t turned into a heavy, Walking Dead-esque slog is a testament that you can still work through some deep subjects without needing to crush your audience beneath the heavy stone weight of dystopian reality. Minecraft and Telltale both continue to surprise me with this series, and I can’t wait to see how Jesse and Company deal with The Admin… eventually.

Whether you’re a longtime fan of the series like me, or a curious newcomer, you owe it to yourself to buy this game if you have a 3DS.

Wipeout HD is a budget priced game that has more than enough content for a full price, and some of the best visuals out there to date.

With the additions of the CHL and Ultimate Hockey League and the great Gameplay improvements this is once again the best hockey game available as well as one of the best sports games out there.

Natsuki Chronicles accommodates newcomers and veterans of the genre without diluting the experience for either. The tight, challenging gameplay and great presentation provide a game that’s well worth playing. Admittedly, the difficulty may be off-putting to some, especially with the occasional difficulty spike. However, Natsuki Chronicles provides the tools to master the gameplay without the tedium often associated with games of its genre. I would wholeheartedly recommend the game to those that appreciate high quality shoot ‘em ups or even just someone looking for a good introduction to the genre.

FIFA 14 exudes polish from every pore. It’s a great all-rounder, able to entertain players of all abilities. Until Battlefield fixes its problems, there isn’t a better multiplayer game on PS4 either. Sports fan or no, there aren’t many more complete games you can pick up this launch window.

Madden NFL 11 is a great game of football, the best of the series so far, but its not without a few minor draw backs.

You get a whole new slew of 80 levels that takes about as long as the main game to get through, and has even more to do because it’s just so amazingly difficult. While some of the visual elements feel a little pasted-in, New Super Luigi U adds enough fresh things to an already excellent base game to be more than worth your time.

With a style carved from some old greats, Blood of the Werewolf is an excellent game. Comfortable in its own skin and not afraid to play with the ideas that brought it to the party, Scientifically Proven’s first venture into the platform genre is a joy, even when it’s doing its damnedest to teach you lessons you don’t want to learn.

MLB 10: The Show really surprised me in the way that it featured a very solid baseball title for the PSP.

Bloodborne has all the flavors and trimmings From Software fans have come to savor.

It's hard to criticize Tekken 7 for skimping on the offline content when the fighting and the feel for the game are this good. I applaud Harada-san and his team for sticking to the basics and believing in what they're doing, only letting their guard down to let the ridiculously embarrassing story mode slip in. It comes down to a question of Western abundance versus Japanese purism whether Tekken 7 hits the sweet spot. I know I will vouch for the latter any day over superfluous frills. Tekken 7 is the most fun and exhilarating I've had with the fighting games in years and I have pretty much played them all. Virtua Fighter 3 might be forever etched in my heart as my favorite beat 'em up but Tekken 7 is the best these days offer. There are fighting games. Then there's Tekken. The king is back.

Although Call of Duty: Black Ops may have a lot familiar to fans of the series, Treyarch has pushed a lot of the right buttons and has made the best Call of Duty game to date.

There are heretics for whom superhero culture holds no appeal or understanding, but I wager that Injustice 2 will captivate even these skeptics. With responsive fighting mechanics, an engaging and fast-moving campaign, a generous roster of characters and top-drawer presentation, Injustice 2 will make everyone at least a temporary fan of the genre.

Fulfill your fantasy of becoming a rock God with this blockbuster sequel. Get ready for more tracks, more bands and the awesome co-op multiplayer mode.

Sony is truly on a roll with its baseball franchise, it is hands down the best baseball game in the land right now.

Other than the Cities franchise, the building-sim genre has been a little under represented as of late, and the amusement park-sim world hasn't seen anything this exciting since the early, glory days of Rollercoaster Tycoon. Planet Coaster represents a return to form and sets the bar very high for sim designers in general. Fun, flexible, deep, endlessly entertaining -- and at a bargain price -- Planet Coaster might not be for every gamer, but for fans of the genre it can't be beat.

Criterion has proved themselves as the first developer to really figure out the Vita and what can be done with it. Need for Speed Most Wanted is a must have for any Vita owner or any fan of racing games.

Despite it's poor pacing during the second act and its less than satisfying end, Final Fantasy XIII-2 can hold its head up high as a large improvement over its predecessor in the places where it counts.

Take those Legends of Wrestlemania or other attempts at wrestling nostalgia and throw them away because WWE 13 is all you need "and that's the bottom line cause Stone Cold said so."

This is a PSN title that shouldn't be missed.

Still, as rich in content as Black Ops 4 might be, it does exclude a segment of shooter fans that have no interest in multiplayer or competitive gaming, or don’t have a community of gaming friends to play with. Solo players can have a lot of fun with Black Ops 4, though ranking up in multiplayer can be a bit of a frustrating slog through hours of humiliation at the hands of experienced series veterans. The new Blackout mode is probably the best point of entry and promises to be an entertaining game of choice for months to come.

There’s just a ton of content packed into FIFA 17 including an updated Ultimate Team that makes this an extremely compelling package. I’ve sunk nearly thirty hours into FIFA 17 already and I don’t see that stopping anytime soon. The new engine increases the spectacle of the sport while still keeping true to the franchise. This is a great looking game and easily one of the best sports games of the year.

Madden 09 is a great sports game with its only major flaw being one of many sports games, and that is that it didn’t change drastically from the previous year.

With dragons to fight, weapons to craft, a home to make, and children to adopt, Skyrim: Special Edition represents the better gaming experiences I’ve had from Bethesda. Their fantasy games are more visually and narratively interesting to me instead of the the cynicism and nihilism that lives in the Fallout series. And because of its wintery locale, Skyrim is a really cozy game to play on a cold, rainy day. Unless you’re still playing it, picking up Skyrim: Special Edition is a good enough excuse to enjoy the video game equivalent of comfort food.

For a company so well known for it’s console-spanning pinball franchise, Castlestorm is as beautiful and precise as any one of their fantastic tables.

That being said, Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams – Rise of the Owlverlord is an excellent expansion for the series.

Outside of the small issue of too much randomness in the drops, Enter the Gungeon is an excellent way to blow more then one afternoon.

The post-game content can be a complete nightmare for clueless newcomers because Disgaea 4 demands you to learn its systems in-depth so that you can break them in your favor. That being said, with lovable and quirky characters, amazing voice-acting, great writing, and excruciatingly complex gameplay, Disgaea 4 Complete+ is a dream come true for strategy game fanatics.

PGR continues to dazzle us with an impressive array of top notch motors, solid gameplay and incredible and challenging online play.

In the end, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption may not be the most groundbreaking title of the franchise but it does warrant a fantastic conclusion that I don't think any Wii owner or Metroid fan can afford to miss.

Giving you a reason to come back to the wonderful world of Skyrim is what ultimately matters and at the end of the day, if you can stomach the cost, it will give you hours of fun and may spark your interest to carry on playing a simply fantastic base game.

The extent of your enjoyment will largely hinge on whether you view 400 Days as an odd footnote to an incredible first season, or as the prologue to an even higher-stakes follow up this Fall.

Nagging control issues aside, A Fisherman’s Tale is a charming PlayStation VR game that I found to be a total joy to experience - the same joy I felt playing Astro Bot: Rescue Mission. As far as first-person virtual reality experiences go, this makes the medium so worthwhile. Shooting zombies and exploring derelict space stations is fun in VR but could easily be reproduced and playable as a regular console title. I couldn’t fathom playing A Fisherman’s Tale without VR and experiencing the same feeling of wonder and delight. Consider this an essential addition to your PSVR library next to Beat Saber, Moss, and Astrobot: Rescue Mission.

It’s a near flawless narrative experience wrapped in a bog-standard but necessary adventure game.

Mass Effect 2 is a top notch game because of its focus on refined gameplay, a great story, and its commitment to letting the player decide what happens in the end.

The sequel to Unreal comes up tops with solid gameplay, beautiful visuals and super-addictive online play.

Enough features and values to extend your gaming experience.

Thunder Force AC is a solid port of a classic shmup. If you are craving some retro shooting action on the Switch or want to give the genre a try, give this game a shot.

As addictive as any card builder on the market, Monster Train absolutely nails the dopamine drip of fast-paced matches, the promise of increasing power, and enough variety in its gameplay that it will take dozens of hours before the game starts to feel repetitive. A well written story and crisper graphics would elevate the title to another level, but what is here is fantastic and endlessly entertaining.

Octopath Traveler lovingly embraces old-school RPG conventions while offering its own refreshingly modern take. Through placing sprites in 3D environments, incorporating a separate storyline for each party member, and spicing up battles with fist-pumping turn-based combat, Square Enix makes bold choices to reinvigorate the genre. Thankfully, many of them pay off, resulting in a game that has tugged at my heartstrings and fully engaged me to follow the paths of these eight wayfaring travelers.

All of these little changes go a long way to help make the game feel different. It's still that same great Civ experience, but it adds a lot more and does some smart things to change up the balance.

Directors Raoul Barbet and Michel Koch have gone the extra mile to create better realized characters, a more believable setting, and continue to tackle sensitive topics - elements that once again separate Life Is Strange from other games in this genre. Roads delivers a strong first impression and bringing the DONTNOD band back together for another run has gone a long way to make this episode feel as special as the first season. Life Is Strange is back and it’s off to a great start.

Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition is more Devil May Cry 5, one of the most gratifying, fun, and deep action games ever created. Now there’s just a few more toys to tinker with, and they’re more readily accessible than ever.

Really combines all of the necessary ingredients to make a solid online mode.

Elite: Dangerous requires an investment of time, patience and regular visits to the game’s fan community. The tutorial covers the extreme basis of starship operation, combat, and docking procedures but everything else in between is up to the player to figure out. Get past these hurdles and you’ll find a space simulation experience like no other, filled with gorgeous galactic vistas and the opportunity for fortune and glory.

Ultimately, my only mark against The Walking Dead is that there aren't a lot of places where players get to use their noggin. With the exception of a scene where you must determine the right sequence in which to dispatch a group of zombies in a parking lot, the game proceeds forward in a linear fashion. Sure, you can mess up and die, but the game isn't difficult, and doesn't have any unconventional puzzle solving, like those found in Telltale's Sam & Max or Monkey Island games.

When a game is genuinely good, it doesn’t feel like I’m playing it just for the sake of the review. Need for Speed Heat evokes that feeling as I’m simply having too much fun with it. Compared to its obvious role models, it doesn’t ramble all over the place but has a grateful focus to it. The game comfortably speeds along a yellow brick road that goes neatly between calculated appeal of Forza Horizon and the excess abundance of The Crew, and that’s why I liked it better than those two. In fact, I’m afraid that NFS Heat kind of spoils its genre. I need games with a human touch and after this, racing games without this much personality just won’t do anymore

Moonlighter is a fantastic and unique adventure that can be played for either five minutes or five hours at a time. The gameplay works significantly well on the Nintendo Switch, making it a perfect pick-up-and-play game. Whether you just want the simple serenity of running your own shop, or the big adventure of beating each dungeon, you will find a great time with Moonlighter. You should definitely invest your gold into this title.

In many ways, Senran Kagura Burst Re:Newal presents a win-win situation; it’s undoubtedly the best game in the franchise and as it happens, also an excellent introduction to the wacky world of sexy shinobi girls. However, if you object sexualization for any reason, the game is not for you. For everyone else, Senran Kagura Burst Re:Newal is pure video game entertainment that is satisfying on many levels, in and out!

Small but strong improvements in most areas of the game that come together in a beautiful package. I feel somewhat like a broken record because I’ve probably said the same thing in the last couple of years’ reviews of this franchise but MLB The Show never ceases to amaze me with how good of a simulation of the game of baseball it truly is. With no baseball in real-life, I found myself more than once sitting back and just marveling at the recreation of one of my favorite sports in video game form. If you’ve slept on the series the past couple of years, or are just looking for a deep sports simulation while you social distance, MLB The Show 20 is a great game of baseball and for that, I’m truly grateful.

It’s a short game, taking about an hour or so to reach the end credits but the time is well spent and nothing feels wasted or padded for length. The game’s puzzles are just right, neither too easy or too hard, and in some cases make a great use of the facility’s retro-futurist technology. Some might balk over the absence of enemies or outright peril but hungry aliens, killer robots, or demon possessed soldiers would only serve as annoying distractions and just get in the way. All in all, Red Matter is an awesome science fiction yarn built with an eye for dreamy, retro futurism aesthetic.

It was a very short, yet replayable game. For people who miss the days of the old school point-and-click adventure and more text heavy games, this is definitely one worth checking out.

Well paced throughout, and offering at least one scene changing choice, I can only hope that the future episodes can remain at the high bar Children of Arkham has set. Not content to simply tell another Batman story, Telltale is putting its mark on the Caped Crusader in all the best ways.

Hitman 3 doesn’t bring any substantial changes to the tried and true mechanics of the trilogy, but instead offers the most complete, refined version of Agent 47 we’ve seen to date. Despite a lackluster story, IO Interactive has otherwise done an outstanding job over the years with this trilogy and Hitman 3 represents the culmination of all those efforts.

Fans of God of War are going to eat this game up. It really is the complete package just on a smaller screen.

So where does this leave us? Same great game, extra content, fan made costumes, all on the your personal computer through the magic of Steam.

I really thought the developers did a great job of making a very easy yet complex combat system that allowed gamers to really let it loose and have fun.

In the end, 20XX may not spin a tale warning us humans of a robotic future (or feature robots continuously wondering why they fight), but the gameplay here can't be denied: this is the spiritual Mega Man X sequel you've been waiting for. If that sounds like music to your ears, you owe it to yourself to give the game a try! For everlasting peace!

On each playthrough, though, I enjoyed the game as much as I did on my first go. It never gets old to see Eli’s weary wisdom, Mandana’s warm righteousness, Logan’s rugged intuition, KayKay’s mischievous behavior or Vicky’s no-nonsense street smarts. Rarely I see a game that endures such a ransacking through it. Like its subject matter, there must be something supernatural to Unavowed – or maybe I’m possessed by it!

Divinity: Dragon Commander is an excellently written and polished blend of action, RPG, and strategy that delivers on each front without feeling disjointed or glaringly weak in any one area. It’s a game in which each component meshes together well as a whole package, and the end result is a fantastic genre mixing title that is both entertaining and thoughtfully constructed.

Entertaining, engaging and enveloping; once Five Nights at Freddy’s clasps its paws around you, it will be hard to let go.

The Medium may lack the sparkle and glam of big games because of its introverted and personal nature but that’s the very reason its take on mental issues holds up so exceptionally well.

Having rejuvenated the tired genre, the sequel tightens up the gameplay and spruces up the visuals. Nothing major, but massively fun nonetheless.

Above niggles aside, this is a game definitely worth adding to your collection. Combining elements of 3D physics-based puzzle solving with a well-established gothic horror narrative, Magrunner presents unique and addictive challenges.

Unfortunately, Maneater does not have very much post-game content or replayability, but it’s a tremendously epic, over-the-top open-world action RPG where you dominate the ocean as an apex predator, gaining new and improved bio-adaptations as you rank up. Kindly do yourself a favor and play it!

Though I would have appreciated an in-game help guide to keep the inner workings of battles in check, I genuinely enjoyed its complex intricacies once I got the hang of it.

I must say that I am very impressed with how smooth the game runs, and how smooth the gameplay is.

F1 2020 feels really rewarding with its fast-paced and realistic racing with plausible on-track happenings and mishaps, making the game all the more intense than any version before it. Playing the race weekend with all its goodies is almost hypnotic as you drive laps over and over again, searching for those optimal driving lines and set-ups. After the race, you’ll find yourself soaked in sweat as you have been so intensely focused on driving. F1 2020 is a perfect remedy for not getting to see the whole F1 season this year.

Although the lack of graphical polish could be seen as a flaw in the game, I really can’t think of a person who wouldn’t enjoy this game on some level. If you’re a fan of puzzle platforming or physical comedy, grab Human: Fall Flat right now.

Stygian isn’t that long as it takes some 15-20 hours to see its horrors through, depending on your willingness to search every nook and cranny of its warped world, and the story paves the way for more adventures in the doomed Arkham. However, the replay value is strong due to different character archetypes and what gameplay options they will bring along, adding to the multiple ways to approach quests. In many ways, the game was an eye-opening experience. It sets the bar high what comes to meaningful content and depicting an atmospheric game world and also reminds of what is still possible to achieve in its well-worn genre when given enough effort, heart and thought.

Kirby’s Extra Epic Yarn is a well-crafted sidescroller that gamers of all ages can enjoy. The 3DS port patches in a new difficulty and a novel take on traditional Kirby power-ups. They’re not as seamlessly stitched as they could have been, but they reveal the developer’s efforts in threading an ideal experience that improves upon the source material. With utterly charming visuals, memorable levels, and lighthearted platforming, Kirby’s spin-off knits together a worthy farewell to one of Nintendo’s longest-lasting handhelds.

In the league of arcade racers, it still manages to hold onto its throne, despite improvements made to the online and the way the genre has progressed. These aspects hold it back a little, but as a driving game, there's still nothing that can quite match it, and I look forward to continuously revisiting the game now that it's out on new consoles.

Far Cry 2 may be the surprise game of the holiday season.

There’s always something new to see and do, and all the additions make it easier to hop in for a few hours each day and lose myself in the world. When things get to stressful for me in the real world, it’s nice to know that Animal Crossing: New Leaf is there in my 3DS, offering me a nice escape.

Battlefield 3 is a great game. The campaign comes off as dull and repetitive after a few hours, but multiplayer continues to be a thrill a minute

It's hard to hide the fact that the game has great replay value, excellent gameplay mechanics, and a very intuitive storyline.

While games like Call of Duty and Battlefield make you feel like a warrior, playing Overwatch feels like joining the Avengers. Hell, that’s pretty much what Overwatch is: a loose collection of heroes with special powers in battle.

Super Mario Odyssey is a lovely experience from beginning to end. The sheer scope of the game can be a little overwhelming and there are some bumps you’ll encounter in your journey. If you’re searching for a solid experience on the Nintendo Switch beside The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, you should definitely take this odyssey with Mario.

From top to bottom, Bow To Blood offers a solid concept, fun player/AI dynamics, randomized play, and great VR immersion. This game belongs in every PSVR owner’s library.

The New Colossus is a sometimes absurd, over-the-top single player action game that revels in stupidity but is also whip-crack smart about its themes and is happily willing to silence its guns for an extended series of emotionally honest and beautifully acted moments. Some of the character models aren't great (though the voice work uniformly is), there are some graphical issues here and there, and the testosterone-injected guitar riffs that underscore the firefights seem at grating odds with the setting and story. Very minor quibbles aside, Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus -- like a few of the fanciful animals in the game -- bolts the head of serious political and social satire onto the body of a shooter and it all works amazingly well.