If you like JRPGs and own a 3DS, Bravely Default is easily one of the best available for the system.

I only Platinum a few games a year, but I'm considering going the distance for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor — that's how much I liked it.

I wasn't sure if it could be done, but Bethesda has managed to raise the bar for sandbox games even higher.

Paradigm succeeds in being a genuinely funny and entertaining point-and-click adventure game. What it may lack in innovation, it more than makes up for with its consistently engaging story, its distinctive and unique world, and its diverse and eclectic cast of characters. Admittedly, its offbeat sense of humour may not be up to everyone's standards, but if you're the type of person who enjoys cynical and referential gags, as well as a heavy dose of Mighty Boosh-esque surrealism, Paradigm is well worth the price of admission.

If you've been craving more of the occult in Sims 4, it's a decent way to indulge that craving given that "Vampires" is one of the only substantial offerings in that department since 2015.

Paranormasight makes me feel like the visual novel genre has been held back by largely adhering to a formula first created 40 years ago. It makes its evolutionary steps seem effortless, simple, and long overdue. But more importantly, it tells an excellent story that defies expectations. So, as long as you’re up for some reading and a bit of thinking, Paranormasight is one you shouldn’t miss.

I was pleasantly surprised by Battlerite in this crowded sea of arena/MOBA games, but once I learned that Stunlock Studios was at the helm it all made sense. This genre is in its DNA, and I hope this one catches on for a while as more than just an alternative to some of the bigger market leaders.

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.

A fantastic and fun fighter this is, anyone looking for a distinctly Japanese and over-the-top fighting game will want to check this out.

Runner2 feels like a very natural progression for the series. The team at Gaijin Games has crafted a more nuanced and impressive follow-up to what was great title in its own right. Avant-garde but with a healthy respect for the past, Runner2 is a marvelous rhythmic platformer that just about anyone should be able to enjoy.

The game may tease you, exhaust you, and possibly destroy you with its boss encounters and awful forced stealth level, but it all builds toward a focused, dark vision unlike much else in the medium.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge is a delightful celebration of the Heroes in a Half-Shell. More importantly, it’s simply a helluva lot of fun to play. It breaks little in the way of new ground, remaining rooted in old-school cool, but it does offer wild, satisfying combat, packed out with personality and charm. For anyone who ever jumped off a schoolyard wall — tree branch in hand — shouting “Cowabunga!”, Shredder’s Revenge is absolutely worth shelling out for.

Say what you will about some of these ancillary modes not being included in Nioh as a baseline, but I've gotten more out of the game than almost anything released this year.

Psyonix's laser-focused concept gave me something fun to whip out the next time I have friends over. I imagine with a bunch of awful beer and willing companions, we'll have a great time.

LocoRoco 2 is a great title at a great price point. Its misgivings -- short playtime, lack of narrative substance and meaningless collectibles -- are easily trumped by the game’s character and solid gameplay.

Again, loads are quick, the DualSense is up to the task (and feels great with the heavy emphasis on gunplay in Control), and the game itself runs extremely smooth: especially on performance mode.

A hallmark of excellence. There may be flaws, but they are negligible and won't cause massive damage. Doom: The Dark Ages is a brutally dark and gory game that sets up the rest of the franchise's story in a captivating and meaningful way. It improves on nearly every aspect of previous entries in the series, setting itself up as a strong 2025 GOTY contender.

MGS Delta is a must-play for series veterans and newcomers alike. With it, Konami has taken one of gaming's greatest achievements and respectfully recreated it with little interference other than gorgeous new visuals and a modern-day control scheme to make it more accessible to everyone.

I came in fully expecting it to be a side story, but it was much more than that.

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.

Million Onion Hotel is another winner from Onion Games and Yoshiro Kimura. It’s fascinating, freakish, and further proof invigorating games can be found on mobile platforms if you just know where to look.

Pick it up, but you should know that you might be so scared that you'll have to put it down.

Playground Games took a humungous, beautiful world, packed it full of entertaining challenges and events, added in tons of personality and style, and built it all around the proven Forza tech, giving racing game fans an exceptional automotive experience that they didn't even know they wanted. For as much as I love Forza Motorsport, it's going to be hard to go back after this.

While I get the skepticism over a VR Batman game (I was unsure how this would actually pan out when it was announced), Camouflaj has more than proven that they are a major player in the VR AAA space, and Oculus Studios has yet another feather in their cap with Arkham Shadow.

This game feels like a home run after almost two decades. The look may be a bit dated, but the gameplay still holds up, and the story still resonates.

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.

Though $3.99 seems like a high asking price for the typical iOS game, BADLAND is more than worth it with a beautiful, challenging single-player and fun multiplayer component, and the added bonus of more levels and a furthering of the mysterious story coming in a later update.

It took things that already worked perfectly and shook them until they cracked. Not shattered completely, but undoubtedly broken, just a little bit.