Far from just a lazy rehash, the more user-friendly camera system and online play makes the game even more enjoyable this time around.

By building on a strong foundation, it allows its players the freedom of determining their own destiny, with little in the way of flaws holding it back. Sure, I may have some grudges that may never be removed from the great book, but in the end, this is the best experience I’ve had, bar none, when it comes to real time strategy games.

During my time with Inside, I did not experience any technical issue. There is no bug nor horrible dip in frame rate. The port runs perfectly on the Switch in both docked and handheld modes. I think the latter mode is perfect to play Inside as a smaller screen makes the graphics more crisp and sharp. Inside has all the markings of a timeless gem. It is a fascinating experience filled to the brim with rich atmosphere, a mysterious story, an intelligent game design and stellar art direction. It is a short game that will leave a permanent imprint on your mind.

Larian studios has yet to make a bad game, and Divinity: Original Sin 2 is among their finest. As a sequel to such a beloved RPG, it gets about as much right as you can reasonably expect. The game doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it doesn’t have to when you consider how much its predecessor already got right. It does have its issues – the frame rate could be higher and if you play the game for 50+ hours, there is a good chance that you will get a little worn out from the combat. These issues are easy to overlook though, enough to make the game a must have for fans of PC RPGs.

There were too many times in the game where there wasn't a whole lot of fun. And personally the combat system could have allowed you to have more control of the character without having to give up the RPG elements.

Journey to the Savage Planet might just be the first great game of 2020. It’s beautiful, compelling, fun, and funny. It’s difficult to think about the game without comparing it to other recent titles. Visually, it’s similar to No Man’s Sky; tonally, it’s akin to The Outer Worlds; and the level-design takes a page from Metroid Prime. Even with all of these seemingly obvious inspirations, the way Savage Planet combines its various elements makes it feel completely unique. Despite the fact that, in the end, Savage Planet doesn’t fully stick the landing, it embodies the words of Shepherd Book: it doesn’t matter where you're going because how you get there is the worthier part. And this is a most excellent way to get there.

SteamWorld Heist quickly seized my attention with its interesting world and charming characters, but its addicting combat and rewarding RPG mechanics are what really made the game hard to put down.

Mini Metro is a really good game for unwinding, even with the more challenging modes and moments of high stress that pop when a poorly placed station suddenly appears. In a way, it’s a sim-without-the-sim, and a management game about managing very little. The UI is crisp and clean, the gameplay satisfying, and while the game doesn’t really do much to motivate you to keep playing aside from going “hey, beat your high score!”, it’s fun enough that you’re going to fire it up to try and make a longer lasting and more efficient metro line anyways.

With Peter Jackson-quality production values, combat that remains engaging over dozens of hours, and a meaningful story that stays reasonably related to its beloved source material, Middle Earth: Shadow of War is a rare sequel that improves on just about every aspect of the original. Odious micro-transactions and a pace that might be too focused on constant action aside, Shadow of War will please both the fans of Shadow of Mordor and anyone who enjoys quality action games.

If Hideo Kojima’s non-conventional storytelling, flair for the cinematic, and fourth-wall-breaking silliness gets you out of bed every morning, then Death Stranding is going to appease, surprise, and maybe even delight.

A Hat in Time is that rare Kickstarted game that had a lofty goal and succeeded. Not only does the game live up to the 64-bit collectathon nostalgia that so many of us have been craving, but it also revamps the standard formula. Every level feels completely different from the last, and a diverse mission structure keeps the adventure from growing stale. It’s a wholly charming experience that made me smile silly. Hat Kid controls like a dream and is also a ridiculously cute mascot whom I’d like to see more of, along with more adorable hats. Anyone who has fond memories of the 3D platforming genre would do well to check out A Hat in Time.

Mutant Football League is fast fun and easy for casual fans to get into. It's also incredibly violent and full of cheesy horror puns. In some ways it's everything I wanted it to be while simultaneously leaving the door open for improvements. My only gripes are that it's occasionally repetitive and can be frustratingly unpredictable (for those who hate huge game swings from dirty plays and being consumed by stadium hazards). Still, Mutant Football League is great fun!

Despite being unable to complete the first level, Kaet Must Die is a game very much worth playing. I found myself drawing a map with pen and paper to try and get through the first area, and despite having this guide, I still found myself having problems with beating it. The spooky levels are off the chart and the scares hit home every time. So turn off the lights, turn up the volume, and boot up one of the most successful horror games I have ever played.

If there's fault to be found in West of Loathing it can be in the RPG elements and mission structure -- which are fairly perfunctory -- and maybe a whiff of the belief that when it comes to comedy, quantity beats quality. That's ok. We probably need more games that don't rely on videocards being pushed to their limits or over-emoting mo-capped heroes, games that can tell a story or sell a joke with a straight line, a circle and some dots.

Combat is near perfect, puzzles are varied, and the world of Darksiders II is ready for the taking.

I like how Robert Foster is an old-fashioned game hero with no inner demons to drown or who is operating in a trendy grey area where no one is neither good nor bad. In fact, Beyond a Steel Sky is in many ways respectful of genre traditions but with modern wisdom and presentation. The game can be enjoyed without prior knowledge of Beneath a Steel Sky but obviously, it has a lot of gentle nods to its predecessor. And unlike the original game that felt too short for me at the time, Beyond a Steel Sky has a good length to it with a well over dozen hours to see it through. During your stay in Union City, you will encounter some sensible and some crazy people, solve many tricky situations with a common sense and wit alike, bump into unexpected faces of the past, get your grumpy friend Joey back, visit the old cyberspace, uncover the truth beyond, erm, the steel sky, and leave some goodbyes along the way.

The great thing about Star Wars Pinball is that you don’t have to read instructions in order to get something out of the game. My fondest experiences with it were spent during short, impromptu sessions that didn’t accomplish much outside of listening to the sound effects and watching the table light up.

Lush visuals, solid gameplay and tight controls makes this one of PSP's best thus far.

Shovel Knight: King of Cards is a successful union of its disparate halves, existing as both a platformer with consistently inventive level design and an engaging collectible card game. Joustus and the platforming offer a well-choreographed sequence of challenges that deliver constant variation. Half a decade later, this formula still holds up, and while it may have needed a booster shot of an entirely new sub-game, this injection is quite successful. It's a fitting send-off for a title that helped define a new wave of indies. By liberally borrowed the best aspects of games from the past while showcasing the strengths of modern design principles, Shovel Knight has earned its spot in the annals of the medium. Its latest installment lives up to that legacy.

Forza Horizon is not simply a great racing game; it’s a great game in general. From the handling to the visuals and sound, from the tweaking to the reward system, Horizon has everything it needs to be an enjoyable time. It may lack the challenge and depth that fans of the core Forza series know and love but if you’ve admired the Forza Motorsport games from a distance (like me) then do yourself a favor and play this amazing game.

Don’t Starve: Hamlet is a no-brainer recommendation for Don’t Starve fans. It likely won’t win over anyone who previously rejected this series, but this refreshing combination of humor, creativity, and challenge is sure to delight the long time fans who are hungry for more.

Torchlight II is great fun and it won't be long before you're playing the game late at night muttering the famous gamer mantra, "Just one more quest." This is a how a sequel should be: it reintroduces concepts and mechanics that made the game popular while making a few useful tweaks and changes to parts of the design. Although it doesn't stray too far outside the original game's shadow, it is no less wonderful for it. As the saying goes, "if it isn't broke, don't fix it."

Moving out of the subterranean world of the first two Metro games, Exodus preserves the tense, stealth shooter vibe while opening up into a vastly more varied and interesting series of environments. Even on its normal difficulty setting, Metro Exodus is a challenging and often unforgiving shooter, requiring careful planning and situational awareness. Although it would benefit from a ruthless editor’s pen and fewer wooden characters, Metro Exodus has found a great balance between linear and more open-world game play.

It’s a game basically anybody can enjoy thanks to its straightforward design and simple premise. Again, it definitely has the possibility of being strongly habit-forming, so if you’re someone who loves to crunch through more and more difficult challenges you might want to try it out fairly soon.

Although I will admit Fight Night Round 2 leaves plenty of room improvement, it still is an amazing game on its own merits.

With the end in sight, I feel akin to the characters in the game with regards to where the series is heading, namely, I don’t have a damn clue. Thicker Than Water was a good episode in a season that ranks only slightly below the original, and the only thing left for the team now is to wrap up what they started. Will Javier and co. survive? Will Richmond? We’ll just have to wait to find out.

THQ's flagship motorcycle racer is back, with even more ultra-realistic racing action, challenging AI and extremely fast tracks.

11 bit studios continues to prove that a little innovation can go a long way. Anomaly 2 capitalizes on what made its predecessor so great by improving on an already unique take on the genre, adding great visuals, and a cleverly crafted competitive multiplayer that tower defense fans will surely enjoy.

Bethesda fulfills the hopes of fans with this truly epic RPG, laced with genuinely jaw-dropping next-gen visuals and the customary deep and satisfying gameplay.

Unto the End is a relatively short game that I completed in approximately six hours. Despite a few blemishes, it’s one that made me want to continually dig into, and when I finished it, I wanted more. So, I immediately played it through a second time. I don’t know if I can express how much I love having a bite-sized experience that isn’t a walking-simulator a roguelike. And I think I finally understand what fans of Soulslikes mean when they talk about rewarding those games are. Despite its minute size and minimalist appearance, Unto the End is a beautiful and substantive experience that rewards perseverance, calm nerves, and is absolutely worth your time.

In the end, if you enjoy quirky RPG’s, Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr's Journey should definitely be on your radar. The story is funny, the battle system is fun and engaging and just every part of the game is solid. I’m thoroughly convinced that any RPG fan would enjoy Bowser’s Inside Story and this remake is the way to do it!

After the impressive Aria of Sorrow comes yet another hit sequel, with a deep character upgrade system, solid combat and slick presentation.

World to the West is presented in stylized and clearly-defined visuals which goes a long way in perceiving the environmental puzzles. The same simple approach extends to the gameplay. Everything is straightforward and easy to grasp. I liked the old-school vibes of World to the West, harking back all the way to the 80's. When I played these kind of games as a kid with home computers, they were called arcade adventures and presented usually in an isometric view. At the same time, elsewhere in the world kids had their Nintendo Entertainment Systems and were immersed with the likes of The Legend of the Zelda. In my eyes World to the West manages to blend the best of both the western and eastern schools of action-adventuring. The result is fun, challenging and rewarding experience which is easy to play but hard to put down.

Ori and the Blind Forest is an aesthetically breathtaking adventure. Immaculately detailed environments coupled with engaging gameplay, all driven home by an emotionally driven plot makes this journey one for the ages.

If you enjoy Cities: Skylines, you should definitely put aside some money for this expansion. Your first instincts will provide plenty of amusement, but when you go back to playing the game as usual, the true value of Natural Disasters becomes apparent. Far from being a tangential add-on, it adds more to the game than you would dare to assume. Though slightly marred by visual inconsistencies and conditional performance wobbles, Natural Disasters is a thoroughly essential addition to the Cities: Skylines experience.

The Nintendo 3DS has had a slow start, but I feel this marks one of the first important games to come out on this system. I can't say it's a must buy, but is really close for those who have already picked up a 3DS. The amount of content in this game along with the varying degree of gameplay makes this one of the best Mario games I've played in a while.

By publishing the game three days before the launch of the PS4 without any hoopla, Sony has all but guaranteed that sales of this game will be abysmal. It really is a shame, because it is a game worthy of the top billing that an excellent first party game should get.

The style is superb, and the gameplay flows right along with it to make Pure one of the few “must have” racing games in recent time.

After so many years since its debut, Hotline Miami is still a really tight and focused game. Wrong Number carries over much of its predecessor’s greatness, though I don’t like the larger levels that much only because it makes getting ganked by unseen enemies a little too easy. To hand-wave away these games because of their misanthropic tone and senseless violence is to ignore a product that’s addictive, well-designed, and even fun. As for their status as console ports, both titles are a great fit and have arrived on the Switch with nary a blemish. There is no better time to experience the acid trip that is Hotline Miami if you haven’t done so before. For everyone else, this is one double dip that won’t do you wrong.

Hero Academy on PC might not be totally necessary, but it remains a great bit of asynchronous warfare. What it boils down to is the best of strategy gaming- a title that's light and welcoming for players who want a quick tactical fix, and also an involved, sometimes hellishly meticulous war of wits and attrition.

Orcs Must Die! 2 perfectly combines the strategic thinking of tower defense games with the frenetic action of an old-school shooter, with plenty of laughs along the way.

Blitz is a game that gives as much as you put into it. Keep an extensive music library and group of leaderboard rivals and its longevity is potentially massive. The packaged 25 songs definitely won't be enough to sate your fill, and once you get the hang of its complex systems you'll be chasing down those high scores in a fervour that you haven't experienced since the rhythm game heyday.

Its varied just enough to make the entire experience quite refreshing. And really that’s what Watch Dogs 2 comes down to. It’s a refreshing and easy going world to be in. Even when the narrative tries to up the stakes you can go on hacking the world and making it do whatever it is you want to do. The game is opened up just enough to allow for the insane to happen and when it does Watch Dogs 2 really shines. It’s not a momentous step forward for the franchise but anyone sitting on the sideline worried that Ubisoft slept on the criticism of the first, fret not, Watch Dogs 2 is a better game in every way from its predecessor.

The Burnout franchise continues to impress, with this 4th installment featuring a deeper world tour mode, even snazzier visuals and online play.

There are dozens of "Souls-like" games but Nioh is by far the most ambitious, polished and successful because it has taken Dark Souls' digital DNA and genuinely evolved it into something both recognizable and different. Nioh owes much to the spirit and mechanics of From's games but there is a lot of Diablo and Ninja Gaiden in there as well. It doesn't matter whether Nioh is derivative or wholly original, it just matters that the game is incredibly well made, challenging, complex and fun.

In the end, Heavenly Sword is really the first major standout title for the PS3 since its console debut.

At times, these remakes are faithful to a fault, but the pure joy of finally nailing that combo you were going for, executing that trick you had failed five times in a row, completing that goal that you just couldn't manage, it’s all here and it holds up better than game design from two decades ago has any right to do. If you once loved this series, you owe it to yourself to experience these games again in all their remastered glory and if you're new to them, you'll find a game that is easy to pick up, hard to put down, and addicting in all the best ways.

Unlike many games that have big ambitions and big budgets, only to falter at the most fundamental level, Into the Breach under-promises and over-delivers. Its modest look and surface simplicity belie an addictive and really satisfying gameplay loop that is deep without being overly complicated and rewarding in perfect, bite size moments.

NBA Live 09 is the real deal when it comes to a great video game basketball experience. There isn’t a new mode that takes the game over the top, or a new feature that makes it best out there, but it is the combination of a vision and the hard work to get through some rough years to get to this game which is by far the best NBA Live game I have played in a long, long time.

There are really two categories of RPG's, the great ones, and the less than favorable ones. Jeanne d'Arc manages to get in the top category, which just shows that Sony really pushed this game to become great, and they succeed in doing that.

What makes this game even more impressive is the Xbox Live support, which is honestly the best online squad-based experience out there today.

With Nioh 2, Team Ninja has deepened an already engaging experience, porting the excellent systems and gameplay from the first game and introducing even more toys, stats, moves and systems to master. Incredibly difficult but equally rewarding, Nioh 2 has brought Souls-like combat to new levels of complexity and nuance and while the influence of FromSoftware’s genre-defining games is still apparent, Nioh 2 has an identity all its own.

I found this to be a very fun and unique take on the genre.

The game plays much better then last year's game, and overall ha[s] a great look and feel to it that most people are just going to love.

With its endless charm, solid gameplay, and beautiful display, Songs for a Hero is a fun platformer throwback that I couldn’t put down, falling into that familiar time sink state that is so often heralded by the phrase, “Just one more level.”

A Pixel Story is a game that grows progressively harder as it teaches you to be faster, more accurate, and more accepting of the inevitable.

In bringing the series back from the dead to today’s competitive scene, Samurai Shodown not only chooses to honor the series legacy but dares to be old-school. Instead of flashing extra frosting to attract attention, the game trusts that its basic gameplay is enough to keep the players coming back to it. There’s no trendy character customization and all the collectibles are just gallery items, such as sounds, artwork and movies, you unlock by playing, not paying. Samurai Shodown is like a Chinese checkers to more showy and easygoing fighting games out there but not any less engaging. It’s not how fast you can hit but when you hit that matters. Uncompromised and dignified, Samurai Shodown might be a niche title in its genre but it does its own thing and succeeds in it.

The content addition felt solid, although I would have appreciated either of the two challenge paths to have been made a bit longer, since they are basically two rooms full of enemies leading into a boss, unless you decide to explore to pick up a few non-essential items; they didn’t feel as rewarding as the main path in my opinion.

I really thought fighting games were on there way out a couple of years ago. But with games like Mortal Kombat there is now proof that life still exists in this genre. In fact Mortal Kombat provided some of the most enjoyable gaming I have had in 2011. If you're a fan of the series or looking for a new game to sink your teeth into, Mortal Kombat is definitely worth a look.

It successfully evokes the feel of playing a classic table-top RPG like no other game before. It encourages you to be imaginative, and rewards your curiosity with appropriate depths and details. This game is a masterpiece you shouldn’t miss.

Need for Speed Rivals’ boisterous and brash open-world driving design gets enormous mileage thanks to some amazingly fluid online functionality. This is a stand-out launch game in every regard, and if you have any interest in this sort of action-heavy racing, here’s the best way to experience it this year.

Despite some of my gripes, the sum on the whole is a positively bloody good time.

Sekiro is From Software’s purest distillation of a game design philosophy that values skill-based combat and isn’t afraid to challenge the player at nearly every moment.

Sine Mora is a quality title, from the look to the feel of it, and there could be a lot of useful comparisons between it and other members of the bullet hell genre.

If sports franchises are wondering what they need to do for their next release they should pay a lot of attention to what Visual Concepts has done with the NBA 2K franchise. More than any other game on the market NBA 2K12 has managed to bring the sport to life better then we have ever seen before. Needless to say NBA 2K12 has gone back to back, and I can't wait to see if they can do a three-peat.

Snipperclips is an absolute delight that should not go overlooked. This charming title had the ability to pull me away from Breath of the Wild, while still providing truly innovative puzzle design. This game works better as a multiplayer experience, inviting others to join in with its cartoonish designs and side-splitting gameplay. Snipperclips isn’t a long game, but it’ll still provide hours of head-scratching, gut-busting, body-snipping fun.

If you value a ton of top-quality content for a not a lot of money, then Guild Wars 2 is the game to play. It's approachable, addictive, and immersive and above all refines MMO's in every conceivable way. While the gameplay and graphical glitches are disappointing, they aren't big enough to negate the impact of this wholly amazing online role-playing game that will keep you occupied for months on end. If anything, World of Warcraft can safely retire and instead pass the torch over Guild Wars 2.

Shadow Hearts is not a short game by any means, as it will take normal gamers anywhere from thirty to forty hours to complete.

Some building games are fun but ultimately feel aimless. Dragon Quest Builders 2 is a solid building game at the heart of a lengthy and well-written RPG, so that the building is always in the service of something, no matter how whimsical or weird. Dragon Quest Builders 2 is a fun and satisfying experience on many levels and the PC version is almost certainly the ultimate way to enjoy it, but like the console versions, it requires time and a commitment to the long game.

If you enjoyed the first, or are interested in getting into the series, then I would highly recommend checking this game out. Plus you can’t beat the $20 price point, that is some serious bang for your buck.

It is rare that a multi-genre game can be successful in more than one of its mechanics, but Thronebreaker is simultaneously an excellently written story, an entertaining isometric RPG, and an addictive and engaging card game. Finally, for fans of The Witcher universe, it gives us another excuse to live in that richly-imagined world. For me at least, Thronebreaker came out of nowhere and was a very happy surprise indeed.

The Desperados franchise has a solid and faithful cohort of fans but a decade and change is a long time to wait between games, so it makes sense to start with the origin, making it appeal to newly-converted lovers of the genre jonesing for a horse opera since the heady days of Red Dead 2. Desperados 3 is nothing like the overwrought and action-packed Red Dead, of course, but it replaces gunplay with the constant suspense that comes with well-made stealth and challenging puzzles, and taking a more satiric tone than the generally serious Rockstar product. Patient and creative fans of stealth games will enjoy Desperados 3 quite a lot, whether they’re into the genre or not.

Whether by choice or due to the small size of the development team, Mortal Shell is highly concentrated action, focused on giving players that uniquely Souls-like experience of challenge, mystery and eventual mastery.

Dark Souls III won’t be for everyone and it doesn’t shy away from the deserved reputation of being difficult. Persevere, however, and the rewards are plenty. I feel like I repeat myself with every release of this franchise but it’s the god’s honest truth: no other video game makes you feel so empowered and awesome. Tackling the game’s numerous obstacles, big and small, is a major accomplishment. And the pride and exhilaration one feels from a Dark Souls game is a lot like getting wrapped up in a blanket, fresh from the dryer, on a cold and rainy night.

NCAA Football 11 is a great game of football, it has some shortcomings, but those are overshadowed by an all around excellent football game that I found to be one of the best the series has put out on this generation of consoles.

In many ways, Battle Chef Brigade Deluxe is a perfect video game. For starters, it looks like one instead of yet another movie wannabe. It teaches, entertains, challenges, stresses and eventually rewards you, like any true video game should. In times when big games are high on cinematic violence, indie titles like this should be cherished. And who knows? Maybe the game urges you take the frying pan out of the kitchen cabinet and try out some cooking yourself, even if you don’t fancy yourself exactly a master chef. I, for one, played with the thought what taste gems the ingredients I use in the kitchen would break into!

Airscape: The Fall of Gravity is an excellently crafted action platformer. The game’s difficulty will prove to be a challenge to most gamers but never becomes punishingly difficult. The variety of level designs, gameplay mechanics, and characters keep the game feeling fresh right through the end.

Etrian Odyssey V might not have changed much over previous installments, but it has refined the already sophisticated cartography to a T with its clever environmental puzzles and great user interface.

There is a serious amount of content and creative potential in Realm of Magic and it’s further proof that while The Sims 5 might be in some shadowy state of development, there is still ample fun to be had with The Sims 4. Fans of Harry Potter will rejoice that the Sims can now explore the nexus of magic and everyday life and longtime players now have even more stuff to keep them in the game.

Episode 3 of The Walking Dead finally put interesting characters into a plot that I was actually interested in.. After that, Episode 4 started creating a series of gameplay moments that not only influence the game, but are set up in such a way and smartly enough to influence how the player feels at that moment. While it would have been a better series if they'd had this in place from the beginning, the way that the series has picked up as it nears its conclusion is great, and has me waiting for the end excitedly.

I suppose that Frostpunk's main flaw is also its central conceit, because not everyone will be attracted to experiencing its icy apocalyptic wasteland or the uncomfortable ethical and moral decisions that the game forces at nearly every moment. Nobility, zealotry, authoritarianism and egalitarianism are hardly the stuff of sunny escapist fantasies. Kudos to 11 Bit Studios for crafting a game that is as addictive as it is dire, dour, and determined to make us regret our choices, no matter how well-intended.

Origami King has the trademark humor and heart the series is known for, as well as a unique battle system. It continues the tradition of great Paper Mario games while being different enough to stand on its own. If you’re a fan of the series, you’ll most likely be a fan of this one as well.

With a flimsy price tag of $5, Heroes offers hours upon hours of enjoyment to help sate your appetite for more Resogun. The only negative thing I think I can say about the DLC is that if Resogun didn’t do anything for you before, the DLC likely won’t change your mind.

Between the base game and the Frozen Wilds expansion, Horizon: Zero Dawn Complete Edition is a forty+ hour experience that should not be missed by fans of open world action games. Three years down the road from release, Horizon feels a little more unfocused to me than it did at launch, but the story, combat and characters are still some of my favorites from the past few years and so I was happy to return to Aloy’s world, that now looks even better. For owners of a PS4 Pro that have already played the game, buying it again on PC for the graphical upgrade alone is maybe a nonessential purchase, but PC gamers who missed Horizon on console have a great game to look forward to.

Even if you haven’t seen the movie or read the comics, this table should still be enough to entertain you.

The Legends Mode isn't as deep as it could be, but for as long as it lasts its quite fun to play. Along with a slue of other modes, you are looking at a game that really is a whole lot of fun.

The combat in the game is very entertaining and combine that with a very solid storyline and you have a game that will make any X-Men fan very happy.

All in all else Heart.Break () is a unique and challenging gaming experience that invites the player to take a turn on the other side of the program, all the while introducing us to an ambiguous world not so different than our own.

Those with any love for the genre should play Gemini Rue for the story and to delight in the nostalgia of a simpler time before eye-popping HD graphics, light bloom and the Unreal Engine.

While I absolutely loved the game, one questionable thing was the lore screen. For important as it is, instead of being another in game menu, the lore screen takes you to the Steam overlay, somewhat breaking the immersion.

Steamworld Heist is a ton of fun, and developer Image and Form are doing a great job of trying new things following the surprise success of Steamworld Dig.

Although we would have liked to see some more additions to the single player, the developers made up for it with an extremely fun multiplayer experience.

Mafia Definitive Edition is a lovely redressing of a game I carry fond memories for and to experience it again in a comfortably playable fashion was a joy.

With new characters, stages, modes, and careful tweaking of the entire roster, Ultra Street Fighter IV is without a doubt, the definitive version of Street Fighter IV. It provides a plethora of new content and a staggering amount of detail, all for the modest price of $15. Its greatest feat, however, is that everything culminates into a package that casual fans will enjoy and fighting game enthusiasts will appreciate.

All in all, I have to recommend Ashen to all fans of the Souls-style games, Metroidvanias, challenging games, etc. Anyone who is unfamiliar with these types of titles, then by all means jump in to Ashen, as the option to have AI or a friend by your side can make all the difference in how you play the game, and can really open it up to new audiences. Ashen is out on PC, PS4, Xbox One and now on Nintendo Switch. Personally, the Switch version is a perfect pick-up-and-play game, allowing you to venture deeper into the world one session at a time. While the game is not as large-scale as some of its inspirations may be, it's worth playing all the same.

Gravity Rush 2 is not a perfect game, but it undoubtedly expands upon its predecessor in nearly every conceivable way. There are some wonky camera moments along with a few narrative stumbles and problematic quest designs, but the flaws are quickly overshadowed by the triumphs, and just like its endearing protagonist, it lands firmly on its feet in the end.

With a lengthy campaign and a multiplayer full of leveling and unlocking Max Payne 3 is a title that will hold your attention for a while and show you one hell of a ride in the process. With only a few minor hiccups keeping it from being a perfect game, Max Payne 3 is unquestionably a must have.

An amazing confluence of level and monster design, combat and gameplay systems, Monster Hunter: World is undoubtedly best Monster Hunter game. After spending well over a hundred hours outside the campaign, I think my original review score was actually a little low. As a game, Monster Hunter: World is still incredible, but the PC release can only be considered definitive for a relatively small number of power users with top-shelf GPUs and zippy processors. While everyone with a recent PC and decent graphics card can make the game work, for many players the best experience may still be on console.