Jotun makes a strong impact early on and the hits keep rolling as the game lurches forward with each heavy axe swing.

Gaming needs more entries like The World Ends With You: Final Mix. Perfection in entertainment isn’t about lacking a single negative aspect, but rather how those blemishes are overcome, and how the work makes you feel. The game has issues as it fails in areas that could potentially cripple it for some. But at the end of the day, I believe it to be worthy of a perfect score. Deserving the highest praise, The World Ends With You: Final Mix can, and should, be listed among the best titles in the history of the medium.

Don’t let the nondescript and somewhat generic title cause you to look away. Indivisible is charming as all hell, sweetened with a bit of old school flavor, and a product of high craft in every regard.

With an industry full of dark and brooding violent games, Lego Marvel Super Heroes is an amazing palette cleanser and an extremely fun time.

Ghost of Tsushima is a game I could not put down because the combat is so good, the world is fun to explore, and the stories it has to tell are rich and compelling. And I’m already anxiously awaiting a sequel.

Resident Evil VII is a great pivot from the formula and also works as a fantastic re-imagining of the original game and a perfect jump in point for newcomers. There’s a warm feeling of familiarity but it never feels gratuitous or as a result of Capcom running out of ideas. Resident Evil VII successfully kickstarts an exciting new chapter in the long running franchise and is certainly worth your attention.

Without repeating myself and filling up pages and pages on what this game is and how it accomplishes what it set out to do, let me wrap up by saying regardless of this being a PlayStation 5 launch title, it is a phenomenal game. I’m not all that steeped into the Spider-Man lore but when I finished this game I turned to my spouse and said, “I don’t want another Spider-Man game, I want Spider-Man 2 to be a Miles Morales adventure.” This character, this world, is what I’m here for and I hope to be swinging as Miles again soon because this first entry is something truly special.

At the bargain price of $9.99 there is no reason you should not pick up this game.

The skill system, leveling up, confrontations and the immunity/weakness system are all fantastic game design choices that really get you invested in the game. Pair those with superb writing and a beautiful location to explore, and this is one fantastic start to this episodic series. If you're a mystery hound like me that can appreciate these twists to the genre, I think you'll agree that Episode 2 can't come fast enough...

Freedom Planet’s solid level design, clever movesets, and well-executed combat mechanics all come together to achieve a balanced flow, placing a focus on platforming and combat over raw speed. Most importantly, the game keeps a consistent pace, so the faster automatic segments are exhilarating and the slower sections don’t feel like a massive downgrade.

Moss is one of the most fun and imaginative games available for the PlayStation VR. Even the VR design, which plays with distance and depth of field, is really cool. Although the story was mostly lacking, the world building is fantastic and real, the puzzles offer enough challenge for this age-friendly game, and above all, you’ll be enchanted by Quill and want to hug her and be her best friend forever and ever.

Nintendo ports over the hugely addictive GameCube sim, and adds more features and online play to the DS. A definite addition to your DS gaming library.

One the greatest games ever to grace a console. It's fun, simple and has a great replay value. Once you get past the 16-bit gameplay graphics, you're sure to find a lot to like about Lunar 2.

EA seems to have figured out what NBA Jam was missing last year and went ahead and fixed it this time. Though battling the AI is fun, it's centered so heavily around playing with people, comparing scores and just having an arcade-style experience from the comfort of your living room that they finally seem to understand it- and if they can fix some niggling issues and get online working right, this game runs very close to perfect.

My initial thought towards the renewed interest in Windjammers was little more than a fun, limited time joke. Only after emerging victorious against fake international flying disc enthusiasts and human players did I get why the game received the attention it did. For something made over twenty years ago, it still has legs and the entertainment value to stay in the consciousness of new gamers and those that still play cash games of Warlords to this day. A wonderful relic of the past (seeing the Data East logo pop-up after all these years brought a tear to my eye), Windjammers is an awesome and unique sports game that, having survived semi-obscurity, might have the cache to become a staple of modern competitive gaming.

Overall, ZeroRanger is absolutely fantastic shoot’em up. It’s highly replayable, while thematically revolving around the repeating cycles of reincarnation in an undeniably Buddhist fashion. I found the game to be an absolute joy to play and reaching the end was highly rewarding. It’s easy to pick up but certainly hard to put down. I’d highly recommend it to those interested in a unique, polished take on the shoot'em up genre.

Games as LSD alternatives are nothing new, but Circa Infinity is in the upper echelon of the category. It remembers that weirdness is not a substitute for discipline, and so tempers its abstract presentation with immaculate level design and a blazing tempo. The outcome is at once a striking artistic vision, a viscerally and intellectually engaging product, and a frontrunner for best indie game of the year.

Dance Central 2 is by far the best Kinect game out to date. It is also one of the only games that actually make you feel like the actions you are doing are being properly scored and accounted for in the game. Whatever Harmonix is doing behind the scenes to get so much out of the Kinect other developers should take note because it truly is incredible and deserving the price of admission.

Trails of Cold Steel gears up as the story progresses and ends up in such a cliffhanger that you just want the next part out already. The game remains as strong as it has been and comes strongly recommended for any JRPG enthusiast looking for a cracking yarn to spend time with.

There is no doubt that Bionic Commando Rearmed is the best title out on XBLA to date.

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.