If I had one piece of advice for people on the fence with Halo Infinite, it would be to not worry about the open world and embrace how it's handled here.

An experience that I haven't had since P.B. Winterbottom and Braid, and it gives both of them a run for their money. Together, these three games now constitute my Holy Trinity of puzzle games.

Regardless of my minor gripes with the game, Civilization 7 is a ton of fun. The Ages system is a major game-changer and really enhances the genre in a big way. Firaxis probably could have gotten away with a safer approach with this installment, opting for just better graphics. Instead, it boldly revamped a lot of the core systems to make the entire game more streamlined for both newcomers and veterans alike. I’m glad Firaxis is still finding ways to improve a genre it has mastered over the years, and as a result, Sid Meier’s Civilization 7 has the series in its best shape yet.

I fear that a lot of people will give up on Double Dragon: Neon too early, either because it “isn’t real Double Dragon” or because of the “clunky controls.” I encourage you to stick with it, because Neon truly is one of the best games in the genre from any decade. It’s got humor, visual flair, excellent gameplay, and a brilliant soundtrack.

Spider-Man isn't just a great superhero game, it's a proof of concept for Insomniac as a company.

Whether you are exploring the corners of DMC's castle or surfing on a rocket in DMC3, there are a lot of great moments in this collection that will make veterans nostalgic and turn newcomers into fans of the series' unique charm. Bayonetta may have outgunned Dante and Kratos may have outclassed him, but the combat, exploration, and scenarios of the DMC series still offer a thrill to this day.

Platinum Games, with the help of Square Enix, has tapped into its innate ability to captivate us with combat while keeping the rest of the journey engaging.

Absolum blends nostalgic, arcade beat 'em up gameplay with addictive progression, a charming Saturday morning cartoon-like aesthetic, and a cool storyline and setting to create the latest and greatest triumphant evolution of the roguelike genre.

Dynasty Warriors 8 feels, in several ways, like an answer to criticisms fans have had of the series all generation.

The slow-motion combat might not be for everyone, but I found it to be just as exciting as any twitch-based shooter. Being in control of the situation at all times is exhilarating, especially when one wrong step could mean certain death.

King’s Quest: Once Upon a Climb isn't the most enthralling tale I've played, but I'm still very much all-in on the series and was grinning throughout. It's a nice slice of life with a likable cast, and with the goodwill this reboot has gained so far, that's all I need.

While the storyline may be a bit hokey and the voice-acting a bit childish, the fun that can be had with the gameplay and smooth easy motion controls just can't be denied. It's the best kind of fun: simple to play, but hard to master. It's a casual motion controlled game that actually works well, and offers up real satisfaction when that control pays off it high scores and massive destruction.

Aside from lacking robust online options and a few clunky menus, Lethal League is an amazing package. It’s my personal favorite of the revival of couch co-op games, and may be my favorite “tell a friend” game of all time.

If you love RPGs, you'll love Half-Minute Hero. If you don't love RPGs, you may still love Half-Minute Hero. Fans of the genre will love the jokes and parody, while haters of the genre may love it for the very same reasons. Even moreso, the puzzling gameplay is addictive and perfectly suited for portable play.

Guilty Gear Xrd is possibly the best fighter out right now. It took three tries to round up this cast (and you can bet your bottom dollar there will be DLC or a Rev 3), but the cycle is complete.

Despite its brevity, Parking Garage Rally Circuit packs a huge punch. It’s not just its perfectly emulated retro aesthetic or its near-flawless execution of its central concept, either. It’s just so damned happy to be here. You can feel the passion behind it, and that energy is felt in all its facets. It knows what it is, and it’s laser-focused on presenting it in the most finely-tuned way possible. I cannot fathom any game topping it in the niche of racing games contained entirely within parking garages. I’m not really sure what the best way to wrap up this review is, so let’s try this: Parking Garage Rally Circuit is miles more fun than parallel parking.

We expected the worst, but in the end, we were pleasantly surprised by the authenticity of the game's world and the depth of its story. We're glad to say that the little lakeside resort town of Silent Hill continues to be just as messed up as it always was.

It not only gives us a rewarding and engaging way to see the horrors of war as it pertains to this particular likable cast of characters, but it also educates us on one of the most significant events in history. Ubisoft Montpellier could have just delivered a good game and called it a day, but they went above and beyond the call of duty to add context to the proceedings, and that is quite the commendable effort.

A bloody and charming affair. It is Splatterhouse by way of David Fincher. I wanted more when it was done. Devolver Digital and Le Cartel studio have laid the groundwork for a stylish and brutal world. Whether you are a fan of beat em ups or just good old fashioned violence, this is sure to scratch that itch for you. I went into this thinking it would be like Hotline Miami but in a different genre.

NORCO takes you on a wild, bizarre journey that makes you feel like you’ve really gone through something when you come out the other side. In a sea of point-and-click narrative adventures, it oozes style, polish, and earnestness in a way that makes me think it will become a staple of the genre in years to come...Geography of Robots may be a studio that’s still in its early days, but after playing this game, you’d think they’re seasoned pros. When I get excited about video games’ potential in what they can do as a brand new storytelling medium, NORCO is exactly the kind of experience I envision.

This is the new gold standard for remakes. Well done, 343 Industries.

Although Swords and Soldiers II has a limited appeal for those of you who like to only game solo, it's a fine strategy title, and a perfect mix of brevity and depth.

Add that sense of uniqueness and intelligence to the fact that L.A. Noire is a terrific bloody videogame, and you have what is guaranteed to be a classic for years to come. True maturity and narrative depth in mainstream gaming begins right here.

If you fancy embarking on a roller coaster ride of ups and downs in the emotion department, this is certainly worth the asking price. It's a definite purchase for fans of horror games and/or visual novels, but I think that should you have a PSP and aren't against buying one of the top games I've had the pleasure of playing this year, you really should try it out.

Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut is now the definitive version of an already great game.

The mix of the art style, the level of polish throughout the game, and the highly addictive gameplay turn Coin Drop into a must-have for players of all ages. It takes some elements from Peggle and adds a ton of new elements into the mix, turning it into a casual orgy of color and sweet highscore lust.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is the first game in literal decades to live up to the plumber’s legendary 2D platforming legacy.

At the end of the day, I think Halo: Anniversary is primarily designed for hardcore Halo fans. If you don't already own Halo: Combat Evolved or are still addicted to Halo: Reach, then I highly recommend getting Anniversary.

If you've got the strategy chops and don't mind a bit of a challenge, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor is a fantastic role-playing experience on the DS. Its time-based, branching story and clever blend of both strategy and turn-based game play styles make for a highly original title.

The improvements -- the tackling, the animations, the authenticity in general -- work together to make this one of the best football titles ever created. There’s no reason not to own this thing if you’re looking for a videogame that recreates the NFL experience in a fun, immersive, and competitive way.

It is a worthy successor to one of the finest adventure series ever to sail the seven seas. Here is to hoping Telltale can keep the Jolly Roger flying as high as it does here throughout the full length of the Tales season.

It made me want to break my Switch in half. But even in its most aggressively exasperating moments, Katana Zero remains bleak, beautiful, bloody, and brilliant.

Lone Echo strikes an exciting balance between exploration and puzzles that make space seem like a playground for the player. It really nails the relationship between the two main characters and does a great job of telling an interesting, if a bit predictable, story thanks to a unique conversation mechanic and great voice acting.

Imperator: Rome feels like it's yet another step in Paradox's attempts to make the perfect grand strategy game. It pulls bits from Paradox's storied past in the genre and adopts it for the ancient era. Because of this, it doesn't feel like past releases where the game does one thing fantastically and falters in the rest of the mechanics but instead refines past mechanics into a marble bust of megalomaniacal fun. Ave Imperator: Rome!

WWE 2K14 lets me be creative, it told me a wonderful story of titans colliding, and gave me the gift of being a kid again. 2K Sports really picked the ball up and ran with it.

I want to stress that Wo Long is not going to be for everyone. It can be extremely punishing, especially if you're butting heads with the parry system. But the setting, the aesthetics, and action sensibilities from a learned team made it all worth it to push through and get over that hump.

It sometimes feels antiquated; a late arriver to a bygone era of JRPGs. An amalgamation of the directness of SNES RPGs and the pomp of the PS2 flavor. I can only dream of what the series would be like with a bigger budget and staff. But even with what we have now, Metal Max Xeno Reborn is something special. Now, you’ll have to excuse me while I go to work digging through the series past. I need more, and I need it now.

Whether you're the type of player who enjoys crafting, endgame content, or role-playing, there's so much to do here for people of all skill levels it's insane. While I fizzled out a bit after completing the main story in 2.5, Heavensward has rekindled my flame.

Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life is a remarkable experience. It takes the classic farming formula and gives it a purpose beyond just seeing how many S-ranked tomatoes you can grow. With its focus on family, legacy, and living a good life, this is a farming sim where what you do away from the fields is as important as what you do when you’re tilling that land. It’s a game that encourages a healthy work-life balance, and there is no better lesson we need in our modern era than that.

However, this entry feels like a true next-gen title, with all the charm of the Pokémon franchise and just the right amount of features and complexities to have players journeying through Hoenn for years to come.

Forza Horizon 4 is another fantastically fun Forza Horizon game even if it's tough to pinpoint Playground's grandest ambition.

Inti Creates can just keep making games throughout my lifetime.

It's simple, yet challenging, and although it seems low-tech, it actually gives you some rather high-tech contraptions to overcome. It's not just one of the best AR games available, but one of the most fun, challenging, and satisfying puzzle titles on the Vita in general.

For those new to the Kingdom Hearts universe or fans just brushing up before the release of Kingdom Hearts III, this is one of the most faithful remasters of any game I’ve ever played. With the PlayStation 3 nearing obsolescence, it’s great to see such an amazing system have this collection as one of its swan songs.

It also feels like one of the tightest games in the series, with a satisfying, revealing narrative that a few of the games in the series has lacked.

Overall, you’re coming to it after 1800, 1404, or others. It’s a good game with great mechanics taken from its predecessors that haven’t aged a bit, and you can expect to find an awesome experience that is only bound to get better as Ubisoft inevitably expands it with more content and DLCs.

As far as Nintendo DS role-playing games go, this is my new favorite, hands down. But then again, I'm a huge fan of both dungeon crawling and Atlus' Shin Megami Tensei series games.

Unwound Future isn't innovative or groundbreaking, and what few changes exist are mostly just new puzzle types, but the game and overall story are polished, interesting, and just simply fun. Layton and Luke's adventures will have you playing for a while, and even though the game isn't doing anything new, it avoids ever feeling stale.

This is the most polished version of Naughty Dog’s vision, and it’s chocked full of content.

All my quibbles are on the periphery of Gears Tactics, though. The core -- getting onto the battlefield and agonizing over every move -- is excellent. There's a smart experience here, one that feels both authentically Gears and tactics. That's the best possible outcome. Gears Tactics is a great Gears game and a great tactics game. This 90% doesn't miss.

VA-11 HALL-A is a damn fine video game, and that’s the bottom line.

Aztez is an absolute killer. It's cool, brutal, and a masochistic amount of fun.

In all, Tomodachi Life is filled with pure, unbridled joy. It puts a stupid grin on my face and keeps it there through its duration. Some might complain that it is "not a game," but they can go on hating. It does require the player to put in some love, flair, and wit, but what comes out is magic.

This is the first fighting game I've recommended to my non-fighting game friends in a long time. Whether you just like the idea of a DC superhero punch party, enjoy RPGish gear hooks, or have been looking for an approachable way into fighting games, Injustice 2 has you covered.

Five Nights at Freddy's VR: Help Wanted is the real deal.

Mega Man 9 is a fantastic game. The music is incredible, seven out of eight of its stages are amongst the best the series has ever seen, it has butt kicking extra features, a great story, and it's only ten bucks. It's damn tempting to just give the game a 10 and be done with it.

Yoku's Island Express is a delight, plain and simple. It's gorgeous, plays beautifully, and I hope it's the start of a new franchise, because I want to play a lot more of this.

XCOM: Enemy Unknown has translated incredibly well to the iOS platform as whole.

I feel comfortable saying that Guardian of Light may be the most fun I've had with Miss Croft in 14 years; it's that good. Guardian of Light covers a lot of bases -- solid action, clever puzzles, nail-biting platforming, and remarkable cooperative play; it's not to be missed.

Although I came in rusty, DJMax Respect beckoned me to keep my fingers dancing and to further one-up myself. The more I did that the more fun it became, and I'm looking forward to enjoying all of the DLC to come, and potentially, the full-on resurrection of DJMax in the west.

I had a blast exploring Thimbleweed Park, and if you've ever enjoyed telling Bernard Bernoulli or Guybrush Threepwood what to do, you will too.

Out of Bounds is Hot Shots Golf perfected. You'll find that this one game can provide both a relaxing afternoon of 18 holes and a fevered 50-person tournament. Newcomers will find this game to be easily accessible, while series veterans will find plenty of new challenges.

The realm of possibilities seems endless, and every time I set sail I find something new.

Since it can take four hours or more to finish Full Throttle Remastered, you’re hit with a story that's paced in a manner that feels just right. Even if there are some small roadblocks along the way, there are plenty of detours that'll keep your spirits high as you head into the horizon.

I’m ecstatic that something like Little Goody Two Shoes exists. Its mix of sapphic horror in a fairytale setting with a retro shojo art style makes it wonderfully stand out.

The Plucky Squire manages to expertly craft an adorably interesting story full of lovable characters, enjoyable narration, and near-perfect parallels between its 2D and 3D worlds. While some parts need just a bit more polish, it exceeded my already high expectations and gave me nearly a dozen hours of laughs, fun, and mental exercise. Plus, well, seeing its cast of cute little characters suddenly turn into buff badasses is a great bonus.

Assault Android Cactus kind of snuck up on me, and is easily one of my favorite shooters of the year. I'm really interested in seeing what developer Witch Beam comes up with next.

Alexios is one of the most memorable protagonists in all of Assassin's Creed, even if I never once actually thought of him as an assassin. In a lesser game, he'd probably be forgettable. But Assassin's Creed Odyssey is superb in nearly every aspect. It's the most impressive Assassin's Creed, even though sometimes it feels like it's Assassin's Creed in name only. It's as broad as Atlas' shoulders and as strong as Hercules. This time, Ubisoft hit a real Homer.

It's damn good fun, creating an environment of chaos and thrilling combat. The new Rockstar Social Club features allow players to team up easily in Crews, pairing them up with players on teams who are members of the same Crew, and it makes it easy to get into a game with people you might actually want to play with.

Death Stranding 2, like its predecessor, is a game that is polarizing for many. When you “get it,” like I and many others do, you simply just feel it on an indescribable level and appreciate each of its head-scratching intricacies. If you didn’t “get” the first game, the sequel likely won’t change your mind.

It may not have the most gripping story but it positively shines from a gameplay perspective.

I hope that Insomniac never really stops working on superhero games.

There is just so much game here to enjoy and with no ads, no microtransactions, and no need to always be connected to the internet, Arkanoid vs. Space Invaders is missing most of the red flags people wave when dismissing the mobile marketplace. It isn’t the best version of Space Invaders out there (this is) but it is the best version of Arkanoid currently available and one that is well worth the four bucks I spent to get it.

Against the Storm is easily my favorite city builder to reach its full release this year. It manages to escape from the sometimes dull lack of progression felt in some other builders, while also providing a lot of depth to sink your teeth into. Because of that, it lives for far longer than most games in the genre can claim. Eremite Games has really built something special here. A very nearly perfect storm.

Outlast simultaneously reminds me of the grainy slasher flicks of the '70s, the gruesome body horror of Clive Barker, and gratuitous modern torture porn. It manages to squeeze a great deal of diversity into what is quite a small package of around six or seven hours, but it doesn't burst or struggle to reconcile the different elements.

An absolute blast. Through a combination of normal puzzles -- though admittedly, "normal" is a bit of a misnomer in a game where you use your flying, magical monkey friend to transform deadly enemies into useful items -- and incredibly rewarding motion control scenarios, Zack and Wiki feels like something totally familiar, yet incredibly new and original.

Right from the start, Guacamelee! offers up a sugar skull-covered playground to delight in and devour with mucho gusto. It's a game I'll be playing and replaying again for some time to come.

For the price, Anomaly: Warzone Earth offers a fresh and exhilaratingly fun strategy experience that only few titles can match.

The fact that you can import music from the first two games is one of the most appealing aspects of Dance Central 3, as I personally have benefited thanks to owning more songs than I know what to do with. It's absolutely perfect for Party mode, as you almost never hear the same song twice, and Harmonix should be commended for this kind of support.

The Civilization pedigree holds a lot of weight after all these years, and Beyond Earth more than lives up to its name.

Dark Souls Remastered speaks for itself just in terms of the raw mysteries it offers beyond its new coat of paint.

Addictive and inherently fun (knocking stuff over never really gets old, does it?), Boom Blox Bash Party is a must-have for your Wii collection. The only question now is, how much trade in credit will you get for the original now that the new model’s rendered it outdated?

It’s quite amazing what Gone Home was able to accomplish through minimal action and a highly believable, immersive setting. It still resonates even after all these years — and not many games have accomplished what it has in terms of a slice-of-life, heartfelt story that comes together in a realistic environment.

This may be the fuzziest narrative I’ve ever had to tackle, open to a great many different interpretations, but that’s just part of the game’s elegance and brilliance. Even without understanding it, I can still safely say Gorogoa is one of the best puzzle games to ever grace my iPad.

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles as a unified duology really captures everything that draws players into this series in the first place.

It's a great middle-ground overall, really. Players can still grind like they can in Birthright (a mechanic that's eliminated from Conquest), but the difficulty is more in tune with the other release.

Small issues aside, DJ Hero 2 is a solid music gaming experience from top to bottom, even more enjoyable than the current iterations of Activision's other cash cow, Guitar Hero.

More than any other game I've played, more than the incredibly complex X series, more than the fanboy-titillating Star Trek: Bridge Commander, FTL made me feel like I was in command of a starship. Or, rather, a series of constantly exploding starships. If that's a something you'd be into, and I certainly don't want to know you if it isn't, then do yourself a favor and grab FTL.

A full-featured, intuitive, and challenging pop star simulator dressed up as a rhythm game. Whether you love Miku and the rest of the virtual virtuosos there's something to enjoy here, even if it's just to prove that you know your way around a rhythm game.

Small issues aside, DJ Hero 2 is a solid music gaming experience from top to bottom, even more enjoyable than the current iterations of Activision's other cash cow, Guitar Hero.

Ether One nails its puzzles, atmosphere, and sound (ambient and voice acting). It also nails its story -- whether or not you decide to fully unravel its world and its mysteries -- culminating in a, well, refreshing, smart finale that will stay on my mind for years to come.

Along with Deathsmiles and Gradius V, SideScroller is one of the few side-scrolling gems of the past decade.

You should absolutely play Afterbirth. If you're already an Isaac diehard, or someone fresh to the genre, Afterbirth has hours upon hours of genuine joy in store for you. But you should know it will also have moments of soul-annihilating frustration. Maybe that's the price for flying so close to perfection.

The experience of New Vegas is sublime and so incredibly big that the ratio between getting annoyed by freezes and getting excited by the game's wonderfully engaging world firmly favors a positive outlook. Very few games could be good enough to make up for serious technical errors. In fact, I could count them on one hand...New Vegas is good enough, though.

You really can't go wrong by spending some time with Resonance. While at first glance it may hark back to games like Beneath a Steel Sky, it's a fresh, modern mystery. It's set the bar rather high for other adventure game developers, and not just indies, though they really drive the genre right now. It might have been over all too quickly, but it was undoubtedly worth the five year wait.

The Making of Karateka feels like a huge step in documenting the history of video games. There have been plenty of titles that have packed in making of details, but I can’t really name another that has gone to this much effort of establishing context for the games it’s spotlighting. Aside from Atari 50, I mean. Digital Eclipse has put together a masterful formula that speaks to retro explorers such as myself, and this is the perfect test of it. It’s absolute gold, and I can’t wait to see what they dive into next.

Content wise, this game is bursting at the seams. With cross-game promotion add-ons, tons of heads to unlock (that you can trade with other players), new weapons, replayable online and offline game modes, bonus levels, encore story levels, collectibles to capture, A+ grades to earn for every level, and the level editor with community challenges, you'll be at BattleBlock for quite a while.

Burn it All is a true gem of a game that shows just how you can mix creativity across many levels of mobile game design. Given how hard it can be to complete every level as fast as the game wants you to, prepare yourself to keep playing this on and off for quite some hours.