This combination makes Crypt of the NecroDancer a brilliant reimagining of nearly every fantasy RPG standard, from combat to status effects.

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.

Far from a watered-down PS2 port, Fireteam Bravo provides a full-on FPS gaming experience on the PSP, with some multiplayer and connectivity features thrown in for good measure.

Those who have played the game on 3DS won’t find as much new content, but they may appreciate the much improved graphics and two-player mode. There aren’t many exclusive features for those looking to triple-dip, but having everything in one substantial and gorgeous package is enough to warrant considering playing the best version of this hack-and-slash game.

The best soccer game on the Xbox to date.

As adventure games are becoming a rarity these days, out comes Quantic Dream's effort that totally hooks you in with its spellbinding story.

Boom Blox: Bash Party once again shows the potential of the Wii to innovate and come out with new unique experiences. If you are a fan of puzzle games, or just looking for a fun experience on your Wii you must check out Boom Blox: Bash Party.

Man of Medan kicks off The Dark Pictures Anthology so elegantly and chillingly that you just can't get enough of that lovie-dovie stuff.

This is really a game to check out if your a fan of the genre or series as it is by far the best Battlefield game to grace the consoles yet.

It’s a constant thrill, one that can steal away a whole afternoon but still satisfy you even after a couple of rounds.

Unlike Arkham Origins, which felt like the Arkham story’s unwelcomed little brother, Arkham Knight earns its position as the end of this triolgy. It goes out hard and fast, carrying one of comics most iconic characters into an unknown twilight, and leaving us with Rocksteady’s undisputed triumph over the licensed game space.

Playground Games continues to set the standard in the genre and Forza Horizon 4 is no different. This is open world driving at its absolute finest. The spectacular visuals and stellar roster of cars are great, but the shared world and new weather system is really what makes this one of the best open world racing games this decade.

In video games there are still times where you're going to be surprised, and I was pleasantly surprised with Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds for the PS3 as it really gives a great arcade golf package.

2K Sports fully justifies the shift from budget to full-price for this NBA title with a deeper franchise mode, solid controls and much improved AI.

Yakuza Kiwami 2 is as abundant as it’s easily approachable. It has a lot to do and plenty of beautiful things to watch, all wrapped in smooth gameplay that can be adapted to the personal playstyle. On Xbox One, the game costs only 20 dollars for a stunning value for money (it’s also a part of Game Pass library). Admittedly, you have to appreciate Japanese culture and entertainment, and be content with the fact that you won’t be firing any guns. In the cruel but honorable world of the game, the hardness of your fists, the reach of your kicks, and the depth of your heart are what matter the most.

For any fan of the tactical shooter fan out there this is one of those games that is just plain fun.

If there is any criticism to be levied at Deluxe, it is that most of the game’s content is unlocked right out of the box. While this is likely a plus for players returning from the Wii U version, it will inevitably hamper the replayability of the game for its many, many new adopters. That aside, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is undoubtedly one of the Switch’s few must buy titles. Not only does it exemplify the Switch’s capacity for multiplayer, its beautiful visuals, exhilarating races and excellent new Battle Mode make for the best Mario Kart yet. If you missed out on the chance to experience the game on the Wii U, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a no-brainer.

For fans of heady science-fiction or winding mysteries, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is nothing short of a staggering achievement.

Assassin's Creed is an amazing accomplishment by Ubisoft Montreal. Make no mistake, this is a fantastic game, it has so much to offer.

The Beatles: Rock Band is the real deal and if you love The Beatles you going to love this game.

Kentucky Route Zero is a rare video game that is able to find magic in the mundane, transforming a seemingly routine truck delivery into a fantastical odyssey through the heartland of Americana. There really isn't anything else quite like it.

SCEA releases arguably the last football game for the PS2, and signs off on a high with this superb combination of exciting gameplay, good visuals and depth.

Blacksad: Under the Skin is stylish, involving, exciting and despite its animal characters – or because of them – harrowingly humane, a gripping pastime for any mystery buff.

The game nailed the atmosphere and the intensity of the World Cup in a way that sports games have tried but never succeeded in doing.

Some unpleasant forays in the Astral Plane, an occasionally unhelpful dodge, and a dearth of combos hold the game back slightly, but despite these shortcomings, combat still feels robust and exploration is a welcome change of pace. Overall, Astral Chain is a wonderful synthesis of stylish character-action, RPG elements, and a novel central hook that manages to tread new ground despite its many points of influence.

The way the narrative and gameplay fit together to make Amicia and Hugo’s journey both compelling and emotional is an impressive accomplishment that put A Plague Tale up there with the best of them. If you are in the market for a somber, story-driven game, I cannot recommend A Plague Tale enough.

Inside takes an already great formula of and improves on it in just about every way. The beautifully designed environments coupled with the cleverly crafted puzzles easily makes this the indie game to beat this year.

It’s an strong addition to the genre, and does a fine job building upon the foundation set by the lauded Company of Heroes.

Forza Horizon 3 is an absolute masterpiece. You’ll be hard pressed to find an open-world racing game that is this visually stunning, sounds this phenomenal, has this much content, and most importantly; this fun to play.

On the execution side, Pool Nation is all hit. I absolutely feel that there is no more accurate representation of the game of pool, and was really impressed with all the extra features Cherry Pop Games added to the overall product.

If Found... is a visual novel that navigates its subject matter with care, its loose hand-drawn art immersing us in a world that we are forced to unmake. Its central metaphor of erasure is horribly effective, forcing us to destroy this fleshed out person's personhood. Through its thoughtful depiction of LGBTQ themes, bold presentation, and penchant for articulating all of the messy particulars of its protagonist's life, If Found... is a deeply moving coming-of-age tale.

Sony's MLB series goes from strength from strength, with a more refined controls and tiny improvements and creates a very satisfying and emmensely fun baseball title.

Sword & Fairy 6 felt like I had binge-watched 64 half an hour-long episodes of a Chinese fantasy drama TV series. Productions values may have been low and effects cheesy but the actors and actresses were beautiful and the story so gripping that I couldn’t stop myself.

With so much of the story left to see, it’s hard to make any definitive calls on the overall quality of The Raven: Legacy of a Master Thief. As for the first chapter though, I am waiting with baited breath to see where the story goes, and to continue on this adventure with Constable Zellner. For fans of the adventure genre, this is an easy one to recommend. For everyone else, there is nothing quite like a good mystery, and this, so far, is absolutely one of the good ones.

Now that Telltale has captured my attention with this entry, they've got the difficult task of keeping it. This episode is so full of smart character moments and interactions it seems impossible for them to continue it any further, but we'll just have to see what they have in store for us next. Of course it's a lot of pressure to keep the momentum going, but the series is starting to look more cohesive and it feels like it's actually going somewhere, which I appreciate after the second episode felt so aimless and one-off. For the first time since it started, though, I'm looking forward to the next entry in this series, and can't wait to see what happens.

One of the best hack and slash games of the year.

Dragon’s Dogma Dark Arisen should be played by every fan of action RPGs.

In closing, I'll say that Star Wars: The Old Republic is a game I never knew I wanted. Years ago, I was upset to discover that there were no plans to continue Revan's story after Knights of the Old Republic II and instead continue exploring the Old Republic universe through an MMO. After experiencing burnout with World of Warcraft, I had resigned myself to no longer play these types of games. However, I couldn't be happier with what BioWare has done with The Old Republic and the experience continues to be enjoyable. The bottom line is, after 42 hours, I'm still having a blast.

Overall, The Swapper is a surprisingly thought provoking sci-fi platformer that makes you think about more than how to get through it.

Just when I think Telltale has run out of places to go, and that I’ve finally figured out the hook to their plans with John Doe and his eventual transformation into full-fledged Joker-dom, they pull Crazy Ivan and give me a gift like Episode 4. Titled What Ails You, this episode is less a set-up of the finale then a stack of C4 primed to take out every story thread that’s been built up so far. Telltale continues to tell one of the best Batman stories out there right now. If you are at all interested in comics, or characters related to the Dark Knight, this is 100% not optional. Honestly, no one else should be sleeping on this either.

The lingering black humor relieves the dark subject matter (Agent 47’s deadpan delivery in disguises is so tip-top!) and no matter what, you can’t help but summon that sadistic smile you’ve been trying to hide. Granted, Hitman 2 doesn’t do much differently than the first season but it doesn’t even need to - it’s just so cool.

With a running time between 4-6 hours, The Descent is one of the strongest pieces of post game content Bioware has ever offered. Through a good story and inspired environmental choices, Dragon Age‘s Deep Roads becomes the dark and deadly place the Dwarves of Orzammar always speak of.

Pinball FX3 is a well-constructed platform for the old pastime. I appreciate Zen Studio’s take on pinball, favoring video game logic over a realistic one, while keeping consistent physics intact. Its online infrastructure and single-player progression are what keep me coming back and craving more, and this system can only continue to improve its appeal as more tables launch. But even as it is now, Pinball FX3 should be enough to make pinball wizards flip out.

If this episode is any indication of what’s to come, this short form adventure could prove to be some of the best work that Telltale Games has put out since the amazing first season of The Walking Dead. With improvements coming through graphically, and the story telling showing strong against the quickened pace of a half season, this small package has a lot going for it. Here’s hoping that it continues.

Just when you thought it was safe to store that PS2 away, Sony presents an absolute gem of an action game with genuinely jaw-dropping visuals.

Danganronpa 1-2 Reload takes two fantastic point-and-click visual novels and ties them up in one discounted package. Between both games and some surprisingly fun post-game alternative modes, Reload offers over 60 hours of content. If you’ve already played through these games, the only incentives to double-dipping are if you want both games in the same package and the ability to play it on your PS4. If you haven’t experienced the series, then this game is the best way to get your fix of high school murder mysteries, trigger-happy courtroom action, and psycho bears. Oh my!

The Live support is really what makes this game as fun as it is.

If you played through the campaign in Age of Wonders III and you are looking to get a jolt of fresh energy out of the game, then the Golden Realms expansion should have what you are looking for.

Whether you’re coming back to the game for a second time or you’re a new player, this is a game that has something to offer for everyone.

Knights and Bikes is an unique and genuine experience that was engaging from beginning to end. It’s a great example of a high quality co-op game. Thematically and mechanically, the game succeeds in highlighting cooperation. Foam Sword successfully delivers a great title that manages to be both fun and artistically inventive. Knights and Bikes is highly recommended for those looking for a captivating cooperative game to play with a friend.

Goodbye Despair is a perfect example of how a sequel should be done.

Whether a big fan, or just someone who is interested to see what all the fuss is about, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2 delivers a stellar experience.

Infamous is one of the best games so far in 2009 and if you have a PS3 you owe it to yourself to check it out.

For a short adventure that took around 5-6 hours to complete, it’s a refreshing change of pace from the grit and grime reality normally sought by today’s modern game. Planet collapsing tragedy aside, this adventure is not one in need of rescue.

Like so many games before it, Yakuza Kiwami 2 does a great job of bringing players up to speed with previous events, which makes stepping into this pleasantly dense universe easy and comfortable.

It offers an appreciation of the smaller struggles during The Great War while exposing its horrors. The characters are charming, the gameplay is interesting, the storyline is gripping, and the visuals are full of heart.

There's no doubt F1 2012 is the best game in the series, in both content and execution, but it still feels to me like this franchise needs a year off.

Overall, I’m very impressed with the product Insomniac released, and it raises my expectations for what other companies are willing to put out with their names attached. While I have issues with some of the beats in the final chapter, I have zero qualms recommending it for anyone who enjoyed the main game. And for those that didn’t, well, they just don’t like fun anyway.

Cloudpunk is obviously a game made with great love and care. It shines through the visuals, the soundtrack, the city, and most especially the characters. Huxley, Camus, and Ben are easily some of the characters in any video game yet released in 2020. The gameplay is not particularly deep but it is solid and enjoyable in its relaxing way. While Cloudpunk does have a few minor faults (mainly the camera), none of them detract away from what is otherwise a wonderful experience. Get your multipass ready, it’s time to go for a ride.

I’d highly recommend this game to anyone looking for a funky new spin on an old classic, but I would particularly recommend Melody’s Escape to anyone who really enjoys listening to and engaging with music. It’s certainly a new kind of experience that I, for one, found engrossing.

Even if you never touch the multiplayer side of Titanfall 2, the game is worth the price of admission for its creative and continually engaging single player experience. Challenging, puzzling, surprising, funny, and above all, satisfying, the campaign elevates Titanfall 2 to one of the best shooters of the year. Pair that stellar accomplishment with an equally full-featured competitive suite, and the result is the definition of “must buy.”

If you have a 3DS, pick this game up. It's especially a great deal when you consider that it's just the pack-in game for that amazing stand peripheral.

Watch Dogs is far and away the best game to released for the new consoles.

In the day and age where every other game is a first person shooter, Heavy Rain comes to us with a fresh and original experience that is really unlike any other game on the market today. It is not perfect but its originality to me makes it a must have for any Playstation 3 owner.

While the few times the game seems to simply abandon you to figure out things it hasn’t explained well are still here, almost every other complaint I had with the PS4 version has been fixed. With one of the more unexpectedly interesting narratives I’ve come across in recent years and deeply inventive puzzle gameplay, there’s a lot to like here in a package that isn’t too short but also manages to not overstay its welcome. I made some great friends on Snaktooth Island and I think you will too, especially if you’re playing on the PS5.

In the end, with Metal Gear Solid HD Collection you are getting 3 games in a classic series that will last you a good 30 hours, maybe double if you partake in all of the side activities and extras that the games have. It comes close to the value of the Orange Box, especially considering that it is being sold for less than most retail games.

It is hard not to be impressed by 343 Industries. This is their first full game, for a series as popular and well thought of as Halo and to improve upon Bungies' games in almost every way is nothing short of astounding. Let it be said, Halo 4 is another Halo game, it feels very familiar and tries very little new, but then again, there is a reason the series is as popular as it is and it isn't as though we see a new one every single year.

Developers Insomniac takes some lessons from their blockbuster platformers, and weaves their magic into this extremely fun and visually stunning shooter.

A smooth flowing basketball game, complete with a huge franchise mode and Live online play.

As a console game, Nioh was in my top five titles of the year and it was a pleasure playing through it again on PC. Nioh moves Souls-like games into their own genre by expanding the vocabulary of combat mechanics and gameplay systems while keeping a structure, flow, and feel that align with From's signature games. PC purists may balk at some of the port's paltry options but the game's elegant and precise combat shines just as brightly on PC as it did on the PS4.

Combines great stealth action with a superb storyline and excellent visuals.

Judgment is an absolute roller coaster of an experience that I can wholeheartedly recommend. It’s an intense investigative adventure full of drama, action, and heart. If this is the direction where the Yakuza series is headed to, I have high hopes for the future. The developers have effectively used the established formula to tell a brand new story. Without a doubt, Judgment is worth playing for both fans and newcomers alike.

If you liked the old Mega Man games then you probably already bought this, but if not do it immediately, and if you have never played one before, it’s a good time to start.

If you like crafting and exploring games, Crea is one you should definitely check out.

Hands down Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow is one of the best games to ever grace a PSP.

There is no question that inFamous 2 is one of the most enjoyable experiences thus far in 2011. inFamous 2 is quite the epic experience and one that if you enjoyed the original you have to pick up this game and see what Cole has in store for himself this time.

What's nice about FIFA is that it does a very nice mix of simulation and arcade gameplay that works wonderfully with the game.

Although not quite the revolution in game play or visual aesthetics that "Super Mario 64" was in its heyday, Super Mario Sunshine still stands as one of the premier platform games of this console generation.

Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment is one of the best launch games the Nintendo Switch currently has to offer. As far as platformers go, the only better option would be to plop money down and get the full Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove experience, which bundles this in. Specter of Torment is such a solid feature-filled game on its own that you wouldn’t guess it was a DLC expansion. Yacht Club Games has outdone itself retooling an already excellent game with new satisfying acrobatic thrills.

Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls is everything I could have asked for in a new Danganronpa game. While the presentation has changed the spirit has not, and at a time when the Vita struggles for new games it is an instant classic.

The plot and characterization revolving around Joseph, the Heralds, and the cult are very engrossing, and combined with the solid first-person shooter gameplay and free exploration, it’s a game that’s hard to put down. The fact that you can play the entire game in co-op is icing on the cake.

This was always going to be good, it is Mario Kart after all, but I think Nintendo has exceeded expectations this time. The additions really do add to the game's format, and the improvements to the online system make it a joy to play. Best Mario Kart yet? Well that's a matter of opinion, but it's certainly up there near the top.

After a while it can get tedious, but while it lasts it is excellent to play before going out before you feel the need to go back to something like FIFA or Bust A Move.

This 'expansion' manages to improve on the already excellent Ghost Recon 2, with extra mission and updated visuals, all at a new low price. Absolute bargain!

South Park: The Stick of Truth is designed with the South Park fan in mind – the one who doesn’t mind gags and gameplay sequences featuring abortion, homosexuality, farts and alien anal probes.

Konami has been spot on, with an engaging storyline and revolutionary new gameplay features.

Succeeding in everything it sets out to do, and coming in at a very respectable $9.99 price point, Drip Drip is an excellent diversion, especially if you need a break from the heavy video game drops this holiday season has given us. With room for some updates in the future, there is much to enjoy in this slightly damp package.

MLB 08: The Show is the best baseball game on the market this year, hands down.

Sony gears up to the baseball season with an impressive show, delivering console-quality gameplay and visuals on the sleek handheld.

Sharing some similarities with the celebrated GTA franchise, THQ's actioner adds some original elements and some fluid controls to make this a winner on the 360.

Although Persona 5 deals with the everyday angst of your average, magic-wielding teenagers, it is epic in almost every conceivable way, from its combat to its sprawling and surprise-laden story. While some of its large cast of characters strike a sour note and its gameplay can challenge the impatient player, Persona 5 somehow manages the improbable feat of being both an ultimate reward to fans of the franchise and a perfect gateway to newcomers.

While Splatoon 2 is not a drastic change from the original formula that was available on the Wii U, there are certainly enough additions and alterations that separate it from its predecessor. Some of the maps have been recycled, and one can’t help but wonder if this decision was made to expedite the development of the game. For a system that is currently starved for new, triple-A titles the way that the Nintendo Switch is, it seems plausible that a few corners needed to cut to get the game out the door. Regardless, Nintendo made good on their promise to support the first title in this series, and one can only assume that they will give this title the same amount of love and care. If you own a Switch, this game deserves a spot in your library.

It was a nice breath of fresh air to have these telepathic abilities that worked so well with the game.

Some may scoff at a Mario RPG, but this turn-based masterpiece is perfect for the increasingly popular DS, featuring solid combat and trademark Nintendo feel.

Aritana and the Harpy’s Feather offers the right amount of challenge and enjoyment with many throwbacks to our favorite platformers, as well as its own brand of passable mechanics.

Borderlands 2 is full of hilarious writing, is a blast to play with friends, and promises hundreds of hours of content. But a lack of gameplay innovation will disappoint fans looking for more than just "more Borderlands".

All in all, Battlefield 3 is one of the best multiplayer experiences around.

Although the lack of clarity with the UI and interface takes my opinion down a notch, overall, I really enjoyed my time with Murder by Numbers. The combination of a detective game and picross really works. I hope that this is the start of a beautiful friendship.