For everyone else, especially avid followers of character-driven art forms, these are performances you can really sink your teeth into.

The main place Hitman continues to struggle is on a technical level. On the PlayStation 4 I'd need two hands to count the crashes I've experienced all week (plus one freeze necessitating a hard reset) and while the long load times aren't as much of a problem this time given the extra slack I found the lax coastal town to offer, it still does put a ding in a game that otherwise encourages you to try new things at the risk of failure. On the whole, though, Sapienza feels more robust than Paris.

Swords & Soldiers is a cute game with a lot of moments that are really, really fun. It can get pretty intense in later campaign levels and it's satisfying to complete them.

Without a doubt, Clash of Heroes is one of the best downloadable console games I've played this generation.

I don't want more Wolf Among Us -- I need more. It delivers a tone unlike anything Telltale has given us before, and really shows us how they've matured as a studio.

Child of Eden's biggest shortcoming is that it's over before it really begins.

If you couldn’t get enough of Super Meat Boy and have spent the past seven years fiending for more punishing platformers, than The End of Nigh is something you should immediately inject into your veins. If you are usually iffy on super-challenging platformers, but curious if this is the one that will turn you around, keep on walking.

It's definitely worth a visit.

If you can stomach the price tag and are dying to have an arcade classic on your Switch, Sega Ages Out Run is highly recommended. As far as I'm concerned, this is the benchmark that all future releases in this line have to live up to.

The good news is, if you're up for some cooperative stealth and mercenary antics, Splinter Cell: Blacklist is right up your alley. If all you desire is more Sam Fisher action, however, you may come away feeling a little shortchanged.

Control is a weird, enigmatic, perplexing masterpiece. It's also Remedy's most well-rounded work yet. Like Jesse levitating far off the ground, Control signifies Remedy is capable of ascending to great new heights.

With GRIS, Nomada has created an abstract adventure, as beguiling as it is haunting. By focusing on its courageous protagonist, and creating a bewitching but frightening world for her to overcome, GRIS succeeds with its short but unforgettable odyssey. Awash with meticulous detail, charming aesthetics, and smart design, GRIS is something special. Take the trip.

This is a historic moment for the series: half a decade later, I can recommend picking up anything and everything Shovel Knight related.

Though her visit to this island paradise was over long before I wanted it to be, it was a trip I am happy I was able to take. It's the type of experience that can restore one's vigor and effect change in us long after we've watched the credits roll. Alba: A Wildlife Adventure reminds us all of how easy it can be to transform our world for the better, and after the year that was 2020, it's a reminder all of us can use.

I’m not sure that Grunn is going to remain cemented in my mind the same way Bernband is. The goals here are a lot more modest and less bold. On the other hand, it is an enjoyable experience. No matter how many times I woke up in that seat on the bus, I was always ready to take on the game again. Gradually unraveling its mysteries while keeping the hedges trimmed kept me engaged. Without thinking too hard about it, Grunn is probably the most relaxing horror game I’ve ever played.

Vanquish is a tepid and tedious game that simply doesn't deserve your cash during a period chock full of far superior releases. And I never thought I'd have to say that about a Platinum game.

Hardcore simulation fans – the kind of people who build dedicated racing seats and set-ups for their games -- will likely walk away from this a little disappointed in that it's not exactly like driving one of these beasts in real life, but for everyone else, it's an absolute blast and a demanding challenge, all in the same game.

Super Mario RPG is an all-time classic game that both RPG lovers and Mario fans alike owe it to themselves to play. This Switch remake brilliantly preserves the spirit of the original SNES game, with some great quality-of-life enhancements and a phenomenally redone soundtrack. Longtime fans looking for a more transformative remake may feel disappointed, but when the core game itself has aged this well, it doesn’t suffer in the ways a lesser title would. If you’ve never played Super Mario RPG, or if you simply want an excuse to revisit it, this remake is for you.

This would have been a cash-in almost anywhere else, but here, Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse was shown the level of love and care most would give aggressively marketed new IPs. It's still no Nocturne, but it'll do.

Reigns: Game of Thrones doesn't reinvent the Reigns formula but it certainly gets more out of it than either of the last two games. With clever writing and a deductive approach to ruling from the Iron Throne, it's a great way to revisit the world of Westeros as we await the final season of the show. Just don't stay around for too long or you might find yourself growing bored fighting against the Dornishmen for the umpteenth time.

NHL 13, at its most basic level, is just fun to play when you get right down to it, even for someone who might only watch hockey during the playoffs and Olympics, or not at all.

After all these years, it remains a delight from damn near top to bottom.

In both the Beatdown and the various arenas, each encounter and firefight is smoothly paced and takes advantage of the game's level design. It's a shame there aren't more of both in the Campaign as a whole.

Fortnite on the Switch is still Fornite, albeit with a few graphical concessions. And Fortnite is good.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 has ushered in a new era of AAA: one where every studio and their grandmother tries to pack a battle royale gametype into their project. The thing is Activision actually did it right, while also providing a strong zombies outing alongside of its token traditional multiplayer element.

Bloodstained is occasionally frustrating, refreshingly open, and as promised, wholly Castlevania.

Whether you are a Battlefield fanatic or a series scrub like me, you’ll get your money’s worth from Battlefield 1943, as well as an unrivaled experience in the realm of download-only games.

Arc System Works have improved on their formula at its core, but failed to make the package more appealing.