This is the sort of fine-tuned wacky action game the genre deserves.

343 Industries have done a remarkable job at continuing the Halo legacy. They've gone all out, creating a fantastic sequel that brought forth a major focus on storytelling while upping the visual and audio direction to a level that will be tough for anyone to rival with these few remaining years of the current console generation.

I might sound down on a lot of aspects of The Old Hunters, but ultimately, it will satiate most fans out there.

It's the little things that add up and really make Hitman 3 special.

It’s odd to say, but I felt sad playing Reload. Not for anything occurring within it. Rather, it reminded me that I had fallen out of love with Atlus. If anything, it’s fitting that Persona 3 Reload helped me realize that. Much of it is about learning to move on, and I’m going to do just that.

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.

Pragmata is Capcom's first original IP after years of sequels and probably its best. With characters you genuinely grow to love and understand, and an incredibly innovative gameplay loop, Capcom has truly outdone itself.

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

What truly makes The Witness everything that it is lies somewhere between the fundamentals of the puzzles and the deeply philosophical of everything else. These two work in tandem, complementing each other even when they seem worlds apart. There are so many layers of separation between the two that it's almost impossible to perceive or even conceive. But, they're there, working hand-in-hand and, on some level, one in the same. You'd be hard-pressed to declare that one of these components is closer to defining The Witness than the other.

The fact that BlazBlue's combat system feels so original is quite an achievement. Add a high level of accessibility, solid online play, and beautifully detailed animation, and you have a must buy for any fans of hand drawn, 2D fighters.

When I finally finished my first full run my heart was pounding. Then it's time to repeat the process again, experimenting with a wild newfound power that's unlocked after completion and items I've never used before. I'll probably be doing that for longer than any roguelike in recent memory.

This world is full of powerful characters and a setting that's worth remembering: remake or not.

Pokémon Black/White is my favorite Pokémon game. That's my opinion. It's also the most robust, fully featured, polished Pokémon game on a technical level. That's an objective fact. Put those opinons and facts together, and you can only come up with one conclusion -- if you like Pokémon, you should go buy Pokémon Black/White. Like, right now.

Only the most jaded of gamers could play this game and not smile.

Nobody has demonstrated they can do Pokemon better than Pokemon can. X and Y does everything it needs to remain relevant, to prove why it's the top of its field, and if that's not good enough for you, there's nothing Ekans say to change your mind.

The responsive controls, improved animations and mechanics, the new collision system, and the amazing Be A Pro mode all come together beautifully to create one of the best football games I've ever played and certainly the best in the series. In short, FIFA 09 lives up to its own hype.

If you're still active, these changes and another season will keep you going. It's that simple.

As a kid growing up alongside some of those early Super Nintendo and PlayStation RPGs, Sea of Stars feels like the classics I remember; and I mean that in the purest sense. When you’re toddling about, hardly old enough to understand some of the words on the screen, nostalgia often compensates for aspects that may have grown less appealing through the years. However, if I were to dream up any old favorite from memory, I’d imagine it’d turn out something like this. Sea of Stars is endlessly charming, bright, and packing a ton of heart — another timeless addition among the classics.

In the first few hours, I was all over the place when it came to an assessment, as it can take some time to really turn it up.

Steins;Gate is a taxing game, but it's also quite beautiful, from the talented Japanese voice cast (no English dub, unfortunately) to artist huke's unorthodox visuals. It's an exemplary visual novel with a thrilling premise, memorable characters, and a fantastic "true" ending that may very well move you to tears.

There isn't an adequate term for titles that blend clunky platforming with choose-you-own-adventure friendship simulators. Nor is there a word to describe games that feature knife-fighting minigames and Guitar Hero-inspired band practices. But, again, maybe that's a big part of Night in the Woods' appeal. It's a confident outsider, and one that takes pleasure is celebrating the weird ways that everything comes together in life.

This game is freaking massive, with a steadily increasing difficulty that will leave you feeling like a bonafied rally racer when it's all said and done. That's all I've ever really wanted out of a racing game.

With solid gameplay mechanics and the iconic character designs of Biggs and company, it's a game that belongs in any puzzle fan's digital library. Even if you could resist the adorable allure of Biggs, the price might stop you in your tracks. At only $6.99, Critter Crunch may very well be one of the best values in puzzle gaming you'll find this year.

For those looking for the next gaming obsession after the likes of Spelunky, Binding of Isaac, or Rogue Legacy, look no further than Crypt of the NecroDancer.

If I was looking for an on-ramp to understanding Guilty Gear or even one-on-one anime fighters, this is the game to do it with; and what’s here looks ready to act as a platform for more to come, as there will no doubt be balance changes and new characters to come. I can lament what it might be missing, but Guilty Gear Strive is also what I needed right now: a good, solid, very online-capable fighting game with plenty of big swords, charging dolphins, and doctors with questionable credentials to go around.

It doesn’t matter if you care about boxing; this superb game is worth a look from everybody, especially since face button punching will be added in September. My complaints with FNR4 are mostly about ultimately trivial window dressing; the game itself is a blast to play, and that’s what stands out.

Pokémon has never felt more alive to me than it does in Sun, and while I did have high expectations coming in, I can't say I saw that coming. This series is catching up with our imaginations.

Whether you enjoy shooters or not, it is simply something that must be played. Treasure created a wonderful experience, and has delivered that very same experience to the 360, perfectly intact, accomplishing far more than it aspires to do, and offering much more than just a shmup.