The bottom line is, if you want to play an action-RPG that is easy to get into, rewards skillful play in higher difficulty levels, and lets you easily play with your friends, Diablo III is a game that you absolutely cannot miss. But its narrow design makes it a game that I can't recommend without caveat for those who prefer single player experiences.

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.

Diablo III: Eternal Collection is a fantastic addition to the Nintendo Switch lineup, and if the years of popularity isn't enough to go by, the vast amount of play styles and options offered by the game should suit the preferences of the many. I recommend the game to all types of gamers, as it's accessible in so many ways. The Nintendo Switch also upholds every aspect of the traditional Diablo experience, so long-term fans of the series need not worry about moving over to the handheld version. If anything, I recommend it for its versatility.

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.

The series kicked off with all of the right design decisions, but the sequel doesn't prosper in this regard. Perhaps it's unfair to focus so much on the negative aspects of a game that is still very much worth playing, but it really is good in spite of what is new, and not because of it. It's for this reason that although I can still wholeheartedly recommend the game for fans of Pillars of Eternity, I have come away from it with feelings that are decidedly mixed.

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.

I’ve played a lot of the launch lineup for Playstation VR but nothing has come close to the amount of fun that I’ve had with Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes. It’s one of the few VR experiences that can be even more fun for people without the headset on.

While I can try to find something negative to say about the game it would be absolute nitpicking and at this point, nothing comes to mind. I can certainly say that Night in the Woods’ relatable and lifelike story won’t be for everyone, and I can imagine some finding the characters too whiny or depressing. However, I think the people who enjoy these kinds of stories and characters will be in for one of the best examples of lifelike interactions and relatable storylines in a game to date. Night in the Woods blends beautiful art, a nuanced soundtrack, and expertly crafted, human writing into a single, cohesive experience.

In a gaming landscape where every game has bountiful side quests and unending DLC, it’s nice to play a game that knows what it is and sticks to that formula from beginning to end. While Nex Machina won’t be for everyone, it’s a game that absolutely excels at being what it set out to be: a challenging, beautiful arcade shooter that will constantly ask if you want to continue.

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.

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.

Having played through OMORI, I’m confident say that it’s an experience I won’t forget. This is a game I wholeheartedly recommend for those that appreciate a good story. With a strong emphasis on catharsis, it has a lot up its sleeves. The cutesy and colorful presentation hides a grim reality and it hits hard. Highly recommended, OMORI is a gem of a game that definitely deserves recognition.

Burnout Paradise is the first great game of 2008. It has all the makings of one of the best the Burnout series has seen, and if improved upon for next year could be the best Burnout yet.

While the total additions equal a killer product, I do think this version, even on new consoles, is slightly inferior to the Gold release.

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.

Just in case you’d forgotten that Bloodborne was one of the best games of the year, The Old Hunters should seal the deal and place it near the top of the list. Generously difficult, filled with hours of new story, and packed with interesting areas to explore and enemies to die to, The Old Hunters is a great addition to the game and should not be missed.

The difficulty of explaining Year Walk without giving its secrets away is self-evident at this point. Anyone reading this who has already played it knows what I mean. For the laymen though, and those who are merely curious, I’ll just say that it’s one of the best adventure games I’ve ever played, and also one of the most terrifying horror experiences in recent and bygone memory.

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.

With a meticulously designed world and the elaborate puzzles that reside within it, The Witness is a game you won’t want to miss.

DOOM has been the biggest surprises of the year. I didn’t care much for the survival horror, Dead Space tone of Doom 3, so the brutal, nihilistic and metal tone of this game is better suited and more familiar to the source material.

Not only is the gameplay superb but also the graphics are just drop-dead gorgeous.

As much as Dead Cells tries - and largely succeeds - to make some concessions to wider accessibility, it is still a game for players with patience and tolerance. Death is frequent, replays inevitable and while the hack-and-slash is almost always engaging in the moment, there's a fair amount of visual repetition and, thanks to the procedural generation elements, fun is little bit dependent on the luck of the draw. Dead Cells may be a near masterpiece of the genre, but the genre's conventions are still a barrier to greatness.

In the end, I enjoyed myself most when I stopped comparing Nioh to Souls games and appreciated it for what it is. Nioh has fast-paced, challenging combat with a deep loot and upgrade system. With well-designed levels and a ton of content, it's easy to sink a lot of time into this visit to Sengoku era Japan.

Although it doesn’t include all the PC game’s extra content, Civ VI comes to the PS4 and Xbox with both the Rise and Fall and Gathering Storm expansions and the latter in particular is a literal game changer. I can certainly imagine using Civ VI as an engaging educational tool to consider the many competing forces around climate change. That sounds dreary. Of course, Civilization VI on PS4 remains what it has always been: addictive, accessible and fun.

Final Fantasy VII Remake is an enigmatic thing, a product born out of nostalgia but reimagined and redesigned to take advantage of technology and hardware that could capture the grandeur of this particularly beloved adventure. If you’ve played the original before, don’t go in thinking you’ll know exactly what’s going to happen because the story takes a good number of unexpected left turns. These changes are mostly fine but I’m curious to see what sort of tweaks will be made to the larger story in light of some of the more dramatic changes--with special regards to a final boss that screams, “Well, we just couldn’t help ourselves!” Final Fantasy VII Remake is a fresh take on a familiar story, expanded with a larger scope that just wasn’t possible twenty-three years ago.

There’s a good game in Pokemon X, and fans looking for another game near-identical to the ones before it likely won’t find issue with a lot of the dusty trimmings and transparent battle system. If you want to get into into the new stat rebuilding features and grind out tons of easy battles to prep for high-level online multiplayer, it’s never been easier to do so. But for all else, the game’s excellent visuals belie the frustratingly old-fashioned design. RPG folk can find better times on their 3DS.

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.

Guacamelee! is a surprising source for a number of in-depth questions regarding ethnic art and internet influence, but it’s also one of the finest games available for the PlayStation Vita.