The game is a spectacular experience. It is masterfully crafted with the right amount of South Park driving it. It certainly has a few minor faults here and there, but it is built to entertain and it doesn’t falter in that area. It’s a big game with a properly built turn-based personality and it all works beautifully within its humorous South Park wrapper.

Ascension is another 'instant classic' entry into the amazing God of War series.

Darkstalkers Resurrection might be just a gauge for future releases of the series, but the effort put into it from Iron Galaxy and Capcom certainly says otherwise. The HD upgrade mixed with the extras and online play make this a solid package that any Darkstalkers' fan will want to snag.

If Sly's your thing - and it's not an exclusive club - this is another fine way to enjoy three classic games.

Pokémon is as complex as it's ever been but still extremely accessible to those who want to play for the first time. With Black 2 & White 2, Game Freak has actually created an entirely new story to accompany its usual 3rd (and 4th) installment to generation 5. Unfortunately, the story feels like a less enthralling narrative than the original installments.

Skate 3 takes a great game in Skate 2 and brings it to the next level. If you're looking for a great skateboarding game, look no further.

Valfaris is a collection of conventional run ‘n gun elements amplified by one of the gnarliest and most committed heavy metal aesthetics ever pledged to pixels. Ideas that belong to Valfaris may not be as well tuned as the Greatest Hits it so liberally samples, but it’s easy to overlook in light of the vibrant carnage. Valfaris, in the parlance of its god, shreds.

Overall, The Eternal Cylinder is a fun romp through a weird and wonderful world and I would consider it to be a must-play indie game for 2021. While its survival mechanics are typical of the genre, the transformative abilities of the Trebhum allow the player to get creative with their choices on how to survive and outrun the colossal cylinder bearing down on them.

Like most (perhaps every) Sega Ages releases, Team M2 has done another great job. There’s an argument to be made for the lack of including the Genesis and SNES versions of the game given that they are a bit different than this arcade port, and seeing as how Sega Ages titles in the past have sometimes included the other versions of games, too… I suppose we maybe got a bit spoiled in having the best of all of the versions included in one release, but I did want to mention that this particular release is just the arcade one. Still, it’s a great game, arguably one of the better SHMUPs of at least the early 90s, and M2 has done another great job of making it available on the Switch.

Creating a candid simulation of a correctional facility is Prison Architect's purpose. Its power is allowing the player to decide if moral indifference—their own or Prison Architect's—is either a strength or weakness. Prison Architect's trip to the PlayStation 4 undermines its capability with an unnecessary layer of obstruction, but the interference it creates isn't impossible to overcome.

In sum, Metro Exodus takes the best elements of 2033 and Last Light and adds a major evolutionary component with open world exploration and crafting. A potent balance is struck between the claustrophobic atmospheres of previous games alongside the new design of expansive open world areas. The blend of full-on action with stealth and survival horror is nicely done as well. I found Metro Exodus to be a more engaging and hard-to-point down experience than I anticipated, and whether you have played the series before or not, Exodus is well worth checking out.

Persona 3 Portable remains the definitive version of Persona 3, albeit a relic of Persona‘s past. Compared to the star quality of the entire Persona 5 series, I can see a world where a newer Persona player may be confused about the lack of animated cutscenes, a battle system that is focused around solely controlling the main character by default, a point-and-click-esque navigation system outside of dungeon-crawling, and a forgiving-but-still-simple Social Link system. I can also see a world where veterans may be expecting a remaster that incorporates the media from Persona 3 into the skeleton of Persona 3 Portable, breathing new life and character into a classic RPG. Looking past these quibbles, Persona 3 Portable remains a stellar JRPG, and it looks, sounds, and plays better than I remembered.

The violent and gory world of Doom Eternal is just amazing and playing as the Slayer makes you feel powerful when faced up against terrifying Demons. Being able to play under my comfy blanket made me feel immersed in the world, something that the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions wouldn’t be able to make me feel. Usually, Nintendo Switch versions of games feel like lesser versions of games released on other consoles, but id Software did an amazing job at making Doom Eternal on the Switch feel just as good. If you’re a longtime Doom fan looking to give it a try on the Nintendo Switch I highly doubt that you’ll be disappointed and I would also highly recommend giving Doom Eternal a shot even if you’ve never played any other game in the series, because you are missing out if you haven’t.

Fly back to Strangereal for the next installment in the Ace Combat series. The game is beautifully crafted and takes you on the ride of a lifetime. Easily one of the best flying games I have ever played, I know I will find myself returning to Ace Combat 7 quite often.

MLB 15: The Show smoothes out some issues that MLB 14 had last year. The graphical portion of the game is the biggest improvement with MLB 15 and something you’ll see right from the start. In addition to visuals, the game’s upgrades and additions in its modes, as well as some unexpected elements, make it a much better experience than last year’s title.

Company of Heroes 2 is an all around solid effort and experience that most RTS fans will find hard to ignore.

Everything its predecessor should have been. It’s gritty, stylish, tasteful, and riveting all at once, and the action is a lot of fun. The incorporation of the motion controls truly does feel integral to the combat experience… they’re not at all a chore, but instead a valuable ingredient of the formula—the way it ought to be.

Ultimately, there’s a whole lot to like about this release and very little to gripe about. My increasingly busy self would have loved some kind of realtime save or a rewind feature (Prince of Persia style) just to help getting through these games less painful, but even without that crutch these games are a lot of fun and provide a good challenge, the first game especially. Taking a step back from the games themselves, the job that Vicarious Visions and Activision have done here is really commendable; from top to bottom, they did a textbook job of reviving these classics for a whole new generation.

Wii Fit Plus isn’t a sequel; it’s an update. But at $20, it offers a good bit of additional content, features, and refinements—enough for fans of the original to consider upgrading and replacing their old game disc.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel was a surprising favorite of mine when it released on the Vita back in 2013. It was a pleasant surprise seeing it on PC, especially with all of the new voice acting they have added in. If you’re looking for a JRPG on the PC, this one is certainly an option, but it would not be my first.

It’s safe to say that if the gods of gaming are indeed good, then we should expect to see further installments in this longstanding staple of action/platforming entertainment.

Superliminal is a lesson about perspective on life. You can look at a situation and try the same solution over and over again. But if you take a different look at the situation at hand, you may find a new perspective. In that new perspective, you can find a new solution that can create a more favorable outcome. As a metaphor for transforming inane frustration into gratifying solutions, Superliminal was a profound experience. One of its particular moments stuck with me. It tells the player, “The problem is not that the problems we face can’t be solved: the problem is that we become so afraid of failure that we refuse to see our problems from a new perspective.” 2020 has been far from normal, but as Superliminal suggests, you could look at it from a different perspective.

Ash of Gods: The Way from developer AurumDust sets a new standard with how deck-building games should be made. It has the core structure that makes the deck-building fun and familiar, while also adding a thoughtful narrative and a variety of gameplay structures to keep the game engaging and entertaining.

To say that Trinity Fusion is missing the mark would be overlooking its other successes as a roguelite. It boasts fluid combat and platforming that keep its gameplay fresh. The weapon/spell management tied with the Amplification system creates a persistent set of variance that avoids becoming stale. My main two critiques of the game are that of its hazy progression system and its lack of a concrete pull that keeps players engaged for longer periods of time. I know that Angry Mob Games has additional content on the way, but waiting a smidgen longer may let Trinity Fusion hit its stride as a roguelite.

Sumerian Six fills a very niche hole that few developers have capitalized on. Its six characters and complex maps give players a wealth of options to creatively take out power-hungry Nazis, where careful planning is the best reward.

NEO: The World Ends with You was absolutely worth the fourteen year wait. Its unique battle system, beautiful art, and accessibility for multiple audiences make it a must-buy for those wanting a new JRPG to play. Beyond that, the lack of a grind and ability to play as you want make this JRPG worthy of being added to your collection. Although the menus can contribute to information overload and the game itself is fairly linear, NEO: TWEWY succeeds in telling a unique and engaging story without the slog of other games in the JRPG genre. In short: NEO: TWEWY is outstanding; be warned: you will become addicted.

MARVEL Cosmic Invasion is an excellent excuse to play a satisfying beat ’em up with friends. It covers a wide variety of content and characters spanning the decades of comics and other media. By pulling well-known heroes and a few oddballs, Tribute Games offers a unique feel for each member of the roster. While the levels and bosses offer Easter Eggs for everyone, it doesn’t make up for combat that may eventually grow a bit stale for players who don’t find thrills in dropping into matches from time to time.

Accessible controls, beautiful in-game physics and few, but strong game modes make for an overall addictive experience. Perhaps it's the NHL rookie in me talking, but it's hard to believe this isn't the best iteration of the franchise yet.