Batman: Arkham City isn't just one of the best games of the year; it's one of the best action games I've played this entire generation of consoles. Rocksteady nailed the combat, exploration, structure, atmosphere, and story in this game and it pulls everything off almost flawlessly.

God of War is the perfect trifecta of innovative gameplay, gorgeous visuals and engrossing narrative. It’s a game that grabbed me from its opening moments and had me holding my breath for almost 30 hours...This is a beautiful game and one of the most engaging experiences I’ve ever had. Unlike previous God of War entries, this is one game that I will be thinking about for many, many years to come.

Be it presentation, length, variety, or simple gameplay polish, Half-Life: Alyx is one that beats its peers cleanly. If you aren’t yet interested in virtual reality or you have not yet taken the plunge, then I would strongly recommend that you consider investing in the technology to play this game. It’s the closest thing to a killer app that VR is going to get any time soon. The format still has its shortcomings and likely always will, but with Half-Life: Alyx, it’s very close to realizing its full potential. If you think back to the first time that you visualized what VR would look like and feel like, then you probably envisioned something very similar to what Half-Life: Alyx has to offer. It’s immersive, exciting, terrifying, and exhilarating – everything that you would hope for a virtually reality game to be.

The action works when called upon, the story really tries to expand on Batman’s world, and the new relationship mechanics add another layer to interactions. If you played the first season, there’s absolutely nothing that should keep you from this one.

Faith is Life Is Strange 2’s most engrossing, heart-wrenching episode and may likely stand as one of the best across of the entire franchise. What it lacks in gameplay, its excellent writing, wonderful performances by the cast, dramatic camera work and cinematic nature more than makes up for the deficit. It is how DONTNOD maturely handles sensitive subject matter like racism, belief, and family that makes this season feel far more grounded to a familiar reality than those before. As far as season finale lead-ins are concerned, Faith will have you counting the minutes until the anticipated conclusion.

I'm not going to mince words anymore: The Walking Dead is the best game of 2012. If you care about video games as an expressive medium, you need to play this game. It's too important to avoid. If you are sick of zombie stories, you need to play this game. If you hate video games and despise the thought of playing one, you need to play this game.

Just Cause 2 sets a new standard in the sandbox genre, and will be difficult to top due to its incredible graphics, expansive world, and extremely fun gameplay.

If you’re looking for a game massive, multifaceted, and fun enough to eat your life for the next six to twelve months, you’ve found it in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps doesn’t try to recreate the magic that made the first game so special, instead it embraces it. With its absorbing soundtrack, meticulously crafted world, and all-around gameplay improvements, Moon Studios has miraculously given us a worthy sequel to the marvelous series.

In the end, Persona 5 Royal is basically a remixed ultimate version of Persona 5, following in the footsteps of Persona 4 Golden and Persona 3 FES. Fans of the series should rest assured that it’s a worthy addition to the series and is, without a doubt, the way to play Persona 5 from here on out. Virtually everything you loved about the original game is not only in-place here, but improved upon. If you haven’t given Persona 5 a chance yet, but enjoy JRPGs… boy, do I have a game for you!

The fact that a game stuffed with hundreds of hours of content runs so well on a mobile video game console is nothing short of amazing. On its own, Skyrim is a phenomenal game and now I don’t have to be stuck on the couch or on my computer. I can play it wherever and whenever I want. What a time to be alive.

By far the best game that the series has produced.

I cannot recommend Mortal Kombat highly enough. This is a game that belongs in your Vita's library and the price is just right. For $40 you get everything the console versions had and then some, as new characters fill out an already massive roster and new challenges will test your combat skills. It may not have the stunning in-game visuals of its counterparts, but that is forgivable considering what Warner Bros. has managed to pack into the product.

It’s in a class of its own. It’s the most fun I’ve had with a video game since Super Mario World. It’s an absolute treasure that combines action and story in a beautiful concert that I never wanted to end. It’s one of the rare games that years from now I know I will remember exactly where I was when the credits rolled and I said goodbye to Nathan Drake, one of the most prolific video game characters of all time. Bravo Naughty Dog, bravo.

Overall, Stealth Inc. 2: A Game of Clones is a clever, well-designed puzzle-platformer. Its color palette may be a little bland and washed-out, but the gameplay certainly isn’t. With some planning, a little patience, and a plethora of ruthless death animations, Stealth Inc. 2 is a fun and rewarding experience.

Simple to grasp and difficult to master, Out There is a dark but richly entertaining story of survival.

I should have never slept on Toki Tori 2 when it first came out, and if you've been interested on it, but never had the drive to grab it, let this review be the thing that pushes you. The improvements and extra things brought to the Switch version make it the most complete and enjoyable way to play it (though the game is also available on PC and PS4). Any puzzle fan's library would be greatly improved with the addition of this game!

Hades is a must-play game this year and you are doing yourself a great disservice not giving it a shot. There is what seems to be an unending plethora of reasons, as highlighted so adamantly above, about why Hades will most definitely be in my top 10 games of the year list. Every aspect of Hades feels nuanced and beautifully crafted. It transforms what I initially thought was a torturous, gimmicky genre into something digestible and fun with a kick-ass narrative sprinkled on top. Hades without a doubt is one of the best games to come out this year and Supergiant Games has yet again proved that they are one of the best developers in the industry today.

The whole Wild West has been a huge missed opportunity for the video game industry, until now where we finally have a game that has put the Wild West back on the map.

Dawn of War II is an easy recommendation for me to make it is one of the best PC games in recent year.

Even if you’ve played The Last of Us, owning one of the best games of the last ten years in all its 1080p glory is worth the price of admission.

I always thought Final Fantasy XII is way ahead of its time when it was first released. Playing the remaster version has cemented that thought. The game still feels fresh and modern even after a decade. Everything I had ever expected from a modern day JRPG is still present in Final Fantasy XII - the open-ended exploration, well-designed interconnected areas, sprawling cities with various NPCs which change as the story progresses on, and seemingly endless side-quests and optional enemies, dungeons and hidden treasures. Final Fantasy XII is nothing short of a timeless masterpiece that I cannot recommend enough.

From a block of tofu to squid kids, Nintendo put their best foot forward in developing their new franchise.

As a landmark title that other games have trouble matching even now, The Witcher 3 flourishes on the Nintendo Switch. With an immense amount of absolutely engaging content, a meaningful narrative, and a meticulously designed world to explore, there’s no doubt about the quality of the game.

I highly recommend Devil may Cry. It’s a great action game that hangs with the best the genre can offer. Combine that with its cool aesthetic and engaging characters, and you have the first can’t-miss release of 2013.

I found its story to be genuinely engrossing as it involves much more than eliminating street gangs and taking out the leader of an international crime syndicate. Saints Row IV is a long game as well, taking me close to fourteen hours to finish (and I still had a large number of side quests and Diversions to complete).

Batman: The Enemy Within is Telltale at their best, and The Pact simply continues to prove why.

One weird bug aside, this was a tremendous episode. Telltale’s creative use of Batlore was on full display with their low key use of his most famous villain, and they created an episode that managed to stand on its own while also leaving a jumping off point for the season finale. Guardian of Gotham delivers on all fronts.