Grand Theft Auto V is nothing short of perfection. It has a bit of everything for everyone in terms of gameplay. A good story mixed with intense action sequences and a large scope to set all of it up in. If this was going to be the last big title from Rockstar on this generation, what a helluva way to go out.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is Nintendo’s Magnum Opus. It’s not only the best Zelda game ever created, it’s also one of the very best videogames in the history of the art. Games like this are so rare that it would be impossible to classify it as anything other than a masterpiece. Experience it at all costs.

Overall, Red Dead Redemption 2 is the perfect gaming experience, and what you were hoping for in the next iteration of the series. It has a rich story, deep gameplay, unrivaled visuals, and plenty of plains to explore.

The visual upgrade to Grand Theft Auto V on the current generation systems would be enough to warrant a re-purchase. It’s absolutely stunning and by far one of the best looking games on current gen. The additional online content, modes, cars, people and the inclusion first-person is just icing on the cake.

Super Mario Odyssey is essential gaming. It’s a sanguine throwback, a jewel of gaming fundamentals distilled to its core, constructed with the building materials of fun and surprise. Predictability and reason have no place on this journey—but the kid in all of us will surely take the helm, a smile on his face.

GTA V and the wealth of assets it claims have, quite literally, never been better.

It's a fantastic game, just as everyone hoped for and expected. Must buy.

Baldur’s Gate 3 is a watershed moment for RPGs and gaming. It represents one of the closest approximations of true freedom, creativity, and player choice available, evolving concepts and mechanics that have been tinkered with for decades. Using Dungeons & Dragons as its catalyst, Larian has honored the past and forged a new future for a genre that has allowed increased agency for players to put their thoughts, feelings, hopes, and wants inside of a digital realm and live.

Batman: Arkham City is The Empire Strikes of the Batman gaming series. It's darker, grittier and adds so much to the original universe that Rocksteady created. If you liked Arkham Asylum then you will love Arkham City.

Few games take as many risks, and even less actually emerge for the better, but Mass Effect 2 pays off in an almost effortless fashion. Not one to be missed.

Elden Ring is a masterpiece. From its expertly crafted open-world design that rewards the player for taking the chance to explore to its riveting lore, FromSoftware has delivered what can only be described as a deliberate and thoughtful experience. While some of its visual stylings are starting to show its age already, Elden Ring’s gameplay is the result of years of fine-tuning to be as rewarding as it is challenging. Many wondered if FromSoftware could put the level of detail into an open world that they have with their previous games. They’ve achieved that, and so much more.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is breathtaking, engrossing and deep. With gameplay and visual improvements, Bethesda set a new standard in The Elder Scrolls series with Skyrim, and with the action/RPG genre. This most certainly should be the game of the year.

Baldur’s Gate 3 is nothing short of a gaming phenomenon, the kind of video game sensation that surfaces only once in a blue moon. The transition to the PlayStation 5 platform not only feels natural, but remarkably seamless. In their ingenuity, Larian Studios has guaranteed that you can simply pick up a controller and effortlessly traverse the vast realms of Dungeons and Dragons. Every button and option that once thrived exclusively in the realm of mouse and keyboard has been artfully translated to the controller, rendering BG3 a paragon of accessibility. Beyond the satisfaction of gameplay, the visual spectacle on display is nothing short of awe-inspiring. The user interface boasts vibrant icons that lend clarity to every on-screen element, ensuring that all options are discernible. In sum, Baldur’s Gate 3 is an absolute essential for any PlayStation 5 gamer.

Excellent gunfights, strong characters and plenty of room for expansion makes Red Dead Redemption one of the best games of 2010.

Three words: go get it.

The stellar pace and production of Persona 5 did not require adjustments and additions to its one hundred hour run time. And yet here is Persona 5 Royal, presenting that package with integral new characters as it remodels the structure, combat, and whimsical ephemera that binds them all together. Persona 5 Royal is the most articulate and realized expression of Persona’s ethos, provided one has the time (and patience) to see it through.

The Last of Us finds a very appropriate home on the PS4.

With Portal 2, Valve willfully defied common logic by creating an exceptionally detailed yet mainstream friendly experience out of, essentially, a puzzle game.

Astro Bot from developer Team Asobi and Sony Interactive Entertainment is a wonderful entry into Astro’s bigger adventure possibilities. The game features creative levels, plenty of personality and positivity, and several reasons to replay it once the main adventure has concluded. While it could have a bit more variety with its common enemies, the bosses, and uniquely built levels deliver more entertainment and joyful meta than should legally be allowed. This is a great big beginning for what should be a long-lasting Sony mascot.

Improved controls, more modes, better graphics and presentation equal out to be one big non-stop gaming experience that will spoil you rotten.

I couldn’t help but think of how Santa Monica took the best of GoW as a franchise and melded it beautifully with the most distinguishable designs of other modern games to create something with an immensely potent synergy.

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree is absolutely worth the cost of its significantly difficult entry point. When exploring the vast reaches of the Shadow Realm, it is impossible to deny how FromSoftware managed to capitalize on Elden Ring‘s immense thrill of discovery and challenge. Shadow of the Erdtree is a full expansion of the masterful vision that represents the culmination of the developer’s work, one that raises the standard even higher, one that feels unimaginable to best. But if there’s studio that can do it, it’s the one who made Elden Ring.

Metroid Prime Remastered is a solid return to one of the best games in the Nintendo library. Its upgraded visuals, outstanding audio and controls, and timeless adventure is worth the revisit.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D is a near perfect redesign of one of gaming's most iconic titles...Nothing more needs to be said.

Mass Effect 2 on the Playstation 3 is not only a better value because of what's packed into it, but also it's a considerable upgrade in gameplay and presentation. Add in a very cool comic from Dark Horse and you have the best Mass Effect 2 on any platform.

TSUKIHIME – A piece of blue glass moon from developer Type-Moon is a stunning game that weaves a deep and terrifying tale reinforced by strong main characters and good narrative flow.

Judging The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition on its entertainment value is easy – it’s perfect. It has an unbelievable story, compelling characters, solid gameplay, and a properly thought-through backend that shows the developers are all-in on delivering an unforgettable experience. On the next-generation upgrade side of this release, it’s just not complete. While the performance mode takes the experience up a notch with visuals and frame rate, the Ray Tracing mode is unplayable and incomplete. It hurts the experience more than it helps it.

Metaphor: ReFantazio is a superb JRPG. Studio Zero’s debut effort maintains the velocity of Atlus’ past two decades of work. It is not a reskin of Persona nor an embellishment of established concepts. Familiar mechanical beats exist but are captured in a unique world and, better yet, an original IP which feels increasingly rare. While it may only be for a brief moment, it feels like a saving grace we are allowed to step foot in this fantasy merely to temporarily escape from a reality that often seems so bleak.

Though not the same tectonic shift as its predecessor, God of War Ragnarök represents one of the finest pieces of interactive entertainment available. By expanding on all the ideas set forth in 2018, Ragnarök culminates in an emotional, enthralling finale for Kratos and Atreus.

The previous installment was great, but this installment of Call of Duty puts the previous to respectful shame. Packed with the best visuals you've seen on the 360 and fantastic gameplay, you'll have a resonating experience like no other.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is an exhibition of lessons learned not only from CD Projeckt RED’s past work, but also from a spectrum of open-world and role-playing contemporaries. It's expected for games of this nature to excel at taking your time away. What's most impressive about The Witcher 3 is that rarely seems to waste it.

Naughty Dog has crafted another game bursting at the seams with passion. Coming at the close of another console cycle, the studio proves its ability to evolve and defy expectations. The Last of Us Part II is no simple sequel. It is a fully realized vision of the world players were introduced to in 2013. Evolved gameplay not only asks players to be more tactical, it taxes them emotionally. But it is also a loving send off of beloved, grounded characters. Whether grabbing a pallet in water or carrying around a ladder, subtle nods exist to the first game, showing the studio takes to criticism and can improve.

An exemplary roguelike incentives and broadens its intrinsic repetition. An ideal narrative adventure paces its characters and their conflicts across a finite timeline. Hades is a vantage point engineered to view a singular setting of both perspectives. Whichever side you ultimately settle on, Hades is a capable ascent from the dregs of genre stagnation.

BioShock Infinite is a proper interactive mystery, and it's a sight to behold and a joy to experience.

As a whole, Ori and the Will of the Wisps is a beautiful, tragic, and complex story told on a stunning landscape and full of unique and loveable characters that will make you feel...so so many emotions. Its gameplay is incredibly satisfactory with challenging, creative puzzles, hidden rooms, and difficult-enough enemies. I would, and already have, recommend this game to anyone and everyone.

Under a thick layer of polish and charm, you’ll find yet another top-notch platforming adventure, chocked full of secrets and clever twists and about as challenging as anything Mario has thrown our way thus far. It isn’t groundbreaking or approaching the level of perfection that the Galaxy games did, but if nothing else, it’s a must-have title for Wii U owners.

God of War is still one of the most entertaining, engaging, and impactful games to come out of Santa Monica Studios. The story is meaningful and emotional, the mechanics are thoughtful and entertaining, and the presentation on the PC is simply unrivaled. This is still a treat after nearly four years.

At the end of the day, you get a fabulous 'ultimate' collection of all the Metal Gear games that make us Metal Gear fanatics happy. While there are a couple of games missing from the 'portable' side of things, most of what you want is in this Legacy Collection. It will certainly be worth your time and money in exchange for playing this games once again (or packaging and storing them somewhere safe).

An exemplary roguelike incentives and broadens its intrinsic repetition. An ideal narrative adventure paces its characters and their conflicts across a finite timeline. Hades is a vantage point engineered to showcase both perspectives. Whichever side you ultimately settle on, Hades’ character-rich action is a capable ascent from the dregs of genre stagnation.

Golden is technically the fifth iteration of a formula established with Persona 3 but it feels just as appealing and engaging now as it did four years ago. No one else (literally) is making games like this and if you've somehow avoided a modern day Persona title you owe it to yourself to give Golden a shot. It's sweet icing on a delicious cake.

Persona 5 will be beautiful forever. Meticulous thought and consideration has been applied to Shin Megami Tensei's durable model of dungeon crawling and Persona's paragon of social simulation, creating a brilliant pulse visible through (almost) every aspect of its performance. Keeping this pace across a formidable length is Persona 5's most impressive trick, ensuring it will steal your heart without wasting your time.

Red Dead Redemption 2 on the PC is the top-tier version of the game. It’s the Woodford Reserve bourbon when you’re used to drinking Kentucky Gentleman. It will most undoubtedly look better than the console version and include all the gameplay that you would expect from the title, but the cost of getting it to that Woodford Reserve level is definitely a price only a PC elitist would understand and accept.

Preserving the importance of a personal story against the backdrop of a galactic catastrophe, Mass Effect 3 respects its foundation as much as it understands and indulges in the player's choices. And it does it better than anything else.

Skyward Sword is a masterpiece. It raises the bar for the legendary series and is memorable from start to finish. It's challenging, unpredictable, diverse, thrilling, and endearing. It is the Zelda game you've been waiting for.

Resident Evil 4 was a marvel when it was released back in 2005 and Resident Evil 4 Remake follows the same path. It’s pure perfection from beginning to end and groundbreaking with its backend improvements and details. Capcom has hit another home run with this one.

A performance of power. Naughty Dog realizes their profound technical ability, showcases a relationship between gorgeous locales and engaging level design, and executes a progressive yet agile and animated narrative. The viability of Uncharted's action—safe but nimble platforming and brisk cover-based shooting parallel to limitless coincidences and explosions—can feel out of sync with 2016, but A Thief's End is easily the best it has ever been.

Inside's quiet confidence is a maneuver invented to not only disarm the player, but also destabilize assumptions that seem inseparable from an entire class of games. Plenty of games have pulled the curtain away to thunderous applause. Only Inside has room for shock, panic, and the inconceivable notion that the nightmare isn't yet over.

Maestro is quite approachable for a rhythm title – something I often have trouble saying given rhythm games’ steep difficulty curves, disparate input methods, and pricy entry points thanks to needing custom hardware. On the Quest 3, all you need is your hands (or controllers, if you choose) to immerse yourself in a novel rhythm game setting. The Complete Edition comes with the full musical experience that will keep you playing for hours!

You know, outside of the minor points I made earlier, God of War III just plays like a dream; a really, really awesome dream. It's hard not to be giddy about how amazing this game, this series, has been.

A great game that should have been superb. The experience is tainted by several gameplay mechanic problems that just shouldn't be there for this third game in the franchise this generation. Ultimately the good far outweighs the bad, but I can't escape the notion that I feel that the full potential of this sequel was not realized.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth codifies the long-lasting significance of JRPGs from the mid to late ’90s, an era in which developers finally had the tools to tell captivating sagas with little compromise. In 2024, Square Enix captures and recontextualizes 1997’s opus with an unyielding vision, building out its world and preserving it with a keen eye for how it fits into the modern landscape. With a cast of characters and a boundless world that has resonated with players for decades, that emotional core is not untouched, merely reborn.

With aggression as its invitation, Bloodborne invokes a calculated shift in Souls parlance. Its aim isn't necessarily a course correction, but rather a Y-axis slant into an alternative series of objectives. Sacrificed are a few degrees of personal customization, only to be replaced by a renewed sense of distress and wonder. Bloodborne’s demanding novelty, even with its unrepentant focus, feels built to last.

Blue Prince from developer Dogubomb and publisher Raw Fury is everything it is cracked up to be. It’s easy to pick up and play, thick with strategy and play-driven decisions, and simple to come back to repeatedly in the face of failure thanks to some amazing gameplay elements that were methodically built for its design.

Street Fighter 6 is one of the most comprehensive fighting games on the market.

The newest entry into the acclaimed Forza series is nothing short of excellent. Forza 3 is packed with content and offers something for every type of racer. Sit down, buckle up, and drive.

If you need a challenge that is less forgiving than the Dark Souls’ series, then you want Demon’s Souls. Bluepoint Games brings the very essence of the original 2009 title with this remastered version, upgrades the experience with PS5 hardware, and makes the game more terrifying.

Some thirteen years after Melee’s release, Nintendo has finally formulated an experience which compares appreciably to the masterpiece that we all love (and many of us still play). Whether for fun or for glory, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U is the follow-up Smash fans have been anticipating since.

Its approach to control, cooperative play, failure, exploration, and gratification are fundamentally novel and indifferent to its peers. These deliberate alternatives might seem unwieldy because we keep implicit rules reserved in our minds, but Journey's pretends none of them ever existed and still manages to treat its audience with the utmost respect. What a joy that it's a lot of fun to play, too.

In the end Xenoblade Chronicles can be revealed through the elegance and simplicity of its title screen; a neatly wrapped present doesn't need an aggressive preamble to punch up the surprise inside. In the case of Xenoblade Chronicles, the quality of its contents speaks for itself.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is absolutely the best game currently available for the Nintendo Switch apart from Zelda: Breath of the Wild. For players who have never had the pleasure of experiencing the original Wii U title, this is a must-own and could be qualified as yet another killer app (even though it technically is a port). On the other hand, even if you own the original, this is the definitive Mario Kart 8 experience; in fact, it is the best Mario Kart game to date period.

It's hard to find a pair of games held in higher regard than Ico and Shadow of the Colossus. Famito Ueda and his colleagues at Team Ico drew two master strokes that not only illustrated the fundamental difference between Eastern and Western design, but also captured the former at the pinnacle of its influence.

When you make a great thing even better, it's easy to like. The $40 price point helps too, and there's enough new content here -- both online and offline -- to welcome newcomers and reinvigorate seasoned SFIV players.

Pac-Man Championship Edition DX is about as solid and sensible an arcade revival that we've seen in the downloadable space. It's reasonably priced, intelligently balanced, and incredibly hard to put down.

Out of the box LittleBigPlanet 2 is undoubtedly a great game; it's up to the community to make it an exceptional one.

Inside is another amazing game from Playdead and I’ll be picking up everything they have to offer in the future. If you love atmospheric games that play more like beautifully crafted films than Inside is for you. I would recommend this to anyone as it’s one of the best looking games you can get your hands on.

When you consider the sheer volume of gameplay and the quality and uniqueness of the experience, Metroid Prime Trilogy is one heck of a value.

Bayonetta 2 expresses a meticulous devotion to excessive elaborateness of style and action. It's a calculated brawler that not only minds its rules with painstaking diligence, but trusts its operator with how to best interpret them. The delicate engineering of merciless destruction has long been Platinum Games' modus operandi, and Bayonetta 2 is the purest and most potent declaration of their intentions.

Novice or experts of the game will benefit from EA Sports efforts in creating an easy to use, customizable soccer environment. Not a soccer fan? You could be one after FIFA Soccer 10.

I was cautiously hopeful about the sequel to Assassin's Creed. I had been hopeful about the original, but ended up frustrated halfway through. This time around Ubisoft really hit their target (no pun intended) as they've done what most companies don't do anymore; they improved upon almost all elements of the gameplay for their sequel.

Tuned ever-so-slightly in "race trim" for more consistency doesn't hinder the uproarious, maniacal wild side of free roam. In a vacuum, it plays just as well as the first two.

The game is very accessible and is also addictive and rewarding enough to keep you going.

Lorelei and the Laser Eyes from developer Simogo and publisher Annapurna Interactive is still a strange and wonderous direction for Simogo’s post-Sayonara Wild Hearts success. The game still features a beautiful mixture of thick narrative and difficult puzzles that ask a lot of the player but deliver an equal amount of satisfaction by the end. While this won’t be every gamer’s cup of tea, it still delivers a variety of good moments that will keep those interested occupied for a while. It’s a challenging game that doesn’t pull its punches.

In all seriousness, MLB 10: The Show takes baseball fans somewhere they were dying to go and does it in such style. Everything about this game screams perfect, but it all depends on what type of baseball fan you are and how much patience you're willing to give.

While Bluepoint has made a lot of improvements, the core game, the soul of it, remains unchanged, as I mentioned earlier. As Wander, you’re trying to resurrect a young girl whose body you have carried to the Shrine of Worship. The gods that be are willing to help, but you must first defeat all of the colossi (the number of which I don’t want to spoil). Few games can have such a simple premise and gameplay design, yet are flat out good enough, timeless enough, to be remastered — twice. So, whether you have played SOTC before or not, you can rest assured it’s an all-time classic, and that for the PS4, Bluepoint has done a fantastic job with this remaster.

Split Fiction is an exceptionally triumphant moment for players. Hazelight Studios has created another cooperative masterpiece but this time around, pulled out every trick in the book. Endlessly dazzling, profoundly inventive, and impossibly fun, it’s hard to imagine anyone topping this kind of synergy. But Hazelight continues to prove they can one-up themselves every time.

It's tough to put down when you start, and even when it's over you'll be back. The Challenge Missions, all the collectibles, and guaranteed DLC means this one will be spinning up in your console for months to come.

A stellar game all the way around. A Link Between Worlds maximizes the concept of depth, from the 3D, to the 2D mechanic, to the characters. This game certainly fits well in the pantheon of amazing Zelda games.

I’m shocked with the scope, the size, and the feel to a game that is now two years old (as of March 7th). It is still very much a unique title that offers up about everything you ever dreamed in one single experience. The fact that you’ll want to replay it speaks volumes about what is in store for you. There aren’t a lot of games that make you want to revisit them so quickly, but NieR: Automata is definitely one of them.

Dark Souls II, as its blessing and its curse, is not another Dark Souls. It is, however, more Dark Souls - and it makes good on its hallowed name.

Resident Evil 2 survives the horror of summiting a twenty-one year old apex. Time-worn mechanics, either left abandoned or considered obsolete, are accountably refashioned through an agile interface and a relentless commitment to creating tension. Resident Evil 2’s pervasive sense of dread, the handshake between past and present, remains delightfully, gruesomely in place.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach on the PC brings the same epic story, fantastic gameplay, and unrivaled visuals. It’s quite an achievement for PC gaming.

Dark Souls II delivers on its promises. It wants to challenge you to death — literally. It’s more of the same from the last, though the scope of the world seems to be a lot bigger with more challenges to overcome. If you enjoy this sort of difficulty and seemingly impossible gameplay then it’s right up your alley.

Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition brings a lot of new additions to a perfect game that is still fun to play two years after its initial release. Having a fully orchestrated soundtrack, more adventures, a 2D option, and nostalgic places to explore just leaves room for one more upgrade — a PS5 update. Regardless, if you’re playing this on a PS4 or PS5, this is the best edition of the game to get and you won’t be disappointed.

The most complete and best version of a great game, the Ultimate Evil Edition is an excellent addition to any growing PS4 collection, especially if you enjoy dungeon crawling with friends.

In many ways, Rogue Legacy 2 aligns with the gold standard of the roguelite category by creating a highly engaging, dare I say addicting, gameplay loop that rewards multiple types of players. Newer players will find enjoyment in its accessibility levers and bite-sized progression while roguelite veterans will enjoy its deeper-than-expected class-based variance. Sure, you probably will die a lot, and you’ll wish to have a greater connection with its world and the characters within; at the end of the day, its flaws are outweighed by the amount of fun that is to be had by experimentation and repetition. My nearly twenty hour experience felt like two hours, and I still itch to return for one more run. Regardless if you’re a PS+ subscriber or not, Rogue Legacy 2 is more than deserving of your time.

While not a massive step forward for the series, FIFA Soccer 12 manages to add a few interesting features and maintain the series' top spot in the genre.

With Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story, AlphaDream and Nintendo have given us the best handheld Mario RPG to date.

I can't say enough about how much fun FIFA Soccer 10 can be once you get into it. I never thought that I would be a soccer fan, but after playing this title I honestly believe there is room (sorry 'curling' you're out of the top ten). Try it out and enjoy it.

Until you can play the game without unpredictable crashing and quirky issues surprising you it's going to be tough to find the maximum amount of fun I know this title can offer.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is the ultimate superhero game and an apex of the genre. Insomniac Games deserves its rightful place as PlayStation’s champion, satisfying every requirement to make a spectacle of Sony’s interactive entertainment. Few sequels possess the confidence to not merely go bigger but do better. From its rich, dense open world to its gripping main narrative Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 sets out to be greater. Instead it achieves greatness, rivaling perfection.

Beautiful, fluid, and tactfully modernized, The Wind Waker HD heavily preserves its base while adjusting the ingredients when absolutely necessary to correct the original’s most glaring imperfections.

MLB 11 The Show is an upgrade from last year's game, and that's saying a helluva lot considering how good last year was for a majority of baseball fans. With added/improved modes, gorgeous graphics and better controls you will get the best baseball experience from Sony's baseball franchise.

Being that the game is unchanged from last year, it’s no surprise that the Become As Gods Edition doesn’t disappoint. If you’re Xbox-only and haven’t given this game a go, there’s no better time than the present.

An outstanding example of a modern RPG and tantamount for any PC players with limited experience in Square Enix’s portfolio.

Balatro from developer LocalThunk is a marvel of a poker experience. While its base-level design is poker, the game’s complicated layers of beautiful strategic ridiculousness driven by upgrades, buffs, and jokers make for a unique experience that is both stimulating and challenging.

Shujinkou from developer Rice Games is a surprisingly entertaining JRPG that features a design that harkens back to early elements of the genre, while mixing in a learning experience to further its beautiful complication.

Minishoot’ Adventures avoids being a shameless ripoff of classic Zelda by incorporating twin-stick shooter elements into its fluid gameplay. Tackling friendly bullet hell enemies is made more exciting through a colorful world packed with a flood of rewards and a constant feeling of discovery, making this brisk adventure enticingly unique.

Looking past its story (again, its story is incredible) and emotional power, there is enough additional content to warrant a full replay for existing owners. If you’re a new owner, this is no doubt the edition you should be securing to fully immerse yourself in Naughty Dog’s desolate future.