Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam is a very accessible, captivating, and fun game that mixes up a few genres very nicely to provide a robust and enjoyable experience.

It's not Raven's best game, but it does very well for itself. I have no problem recommending this to any FPS gamer out there.

A robust, entirely worthwhile release that gives you plenty of bang for the buck and expands upon one of last year's best games in a purposeful way.

Shoot 'em ups are burdened with the weight of the hardcore and while PixelJunk SideScroller obeys that command, its art, music, and basic gameplay are attractive enough to lure in anyone who might remember walking into an arcade. Simply put, SideScroller carries the sentiment of its genre predecessors without the standard prescription for rose tinted glasses.

Candleman: The Complete Journey is a very nicely developed 3D platformer that has a great hook or gimmick that it introduces immediately and utilizes throughout. For $15, it presents a good value for anyone that is seeking a clever, charming, accessible, and fun platformer.

MAG is an impressive technical feat wrapped around a solid multiplayer FPS title.

While not incredibly complex on the surface, Minutes offers up a challenging style of gameplay that requires you to constantly think on the fly, while having a blast. It might be closer to a causal gaming experience than a console experience, but it’s nonetheless fun at the end of the day.

Plants vs Zombies Replanted, from developer PopCap and publisher Electronic Arts, is still fun as hell to run through, and doubly so with co-op, mini-games, puzzles, and a new game+ built into it. It’s the complete package. My biggest issue is price point, as the main game from 2009 is a hard sell for me at $20.

Wild Bastards’ bite-sized first-person shooter showdowns were a treat, especially when I was able to put together pairs of characters who complemented each other and made for something more than a simple shootout. A traditional shooter it is not, but its original gameplay loop and striking visuals make it a helluva good time.

Whether in combat or solving puzzles, as well as in management of your oasis, Ever Oasis does a nice job of being accessible yet avoids being shallow. This is not a tough game to learn the mechanics nor is it hard to make steady progress, hour after hour, and that’s a good thing. It provides a charming atmosphere and a pleasant presentation that’s fun to get into and hard to leave. If you’re in the market for that, GREEZO’s Ever Oasis makes a strong case for itself.

EA's second stint with UFC's license shows some positive growth.

The 7th Guest VR is a homage to a classic game from 1993. Developer Vertigo Games delivers a unique and remade vision of the original title and still includes the ambiance and puzzles that made the first game so memorable. The additional retelling of the narrative and how that narrative is presented in VR format makes this one of the best virtual reality experiences to date.

Neo Cab’s malevolent tech-noir is a vehicle for exploring, and ultimately surviving, the tenacity of its passengers and the ambivalence of its driver. As a narrative adventure Neo Cab is full of conflicted, enigmatic, and sophisticated characters all vying for validation in a tortured world. As an opaque lens on social responsibility and morality, it’s as distressing as it is compulsive. Neo Cab’s tech-addled dystopia functions a travelogue to the pain and purpose of being human.

TopSpin 2K25 from Hangar 13 and 2K is a superb tennis game that looks and feels like you would expect tennis to feel, even down to the frustration and learning curve. It certainly is made for hardcore tennis fans but has enough space for those looking to dip into the series for the first time.

Darkest Dungeon II is a thrilling knock at the door of death. Who will answer? Red Hook Studios offers little solace for hopeful players wishing for vacancy. This is an unquestionably difficult game, often a selling point for this generation of players. While Darkest Dungeon II may constantly test the mettle of players and unceremoniously send them packing with little effort, it is that singular vision constantly escalating players’ interest. In such a dreary world there is light to be found, whether it be victory or that itch to try again, in spite of the odds.

While the original Puyo Puyo’s festive brand of falling-block puzzle-action is a known quantity, M2’s tireless determination to blend accuracy with accessibility persists as the best way to enjoy a classic game in 2019. The SEGA AGES line continues to be the Switch’s secret-best asset.

Pumpkin Jack isn’t a game that revolutionizes 3D platformers, nor does it particularly add anything new to the formula; but the level of charm, humor, and ambiance it offers is just too good to pass up. It’s easily able to make it onto a “Top Halloween Games You Must Play” list if there is one out there, even if it’s not necessarily going to resonate any other time of the year. Combat is the game’s only disappointing downside, but it was hard not to have a ghastly smile on my face playing through it.

Kitsune Tails is a charming 2D-platformer that I just adored playing. While it may have been more difficult than I had initially envisioned, completing the game to the end was worth it, if only to see Yuzu and her friends’ stories come to a close in a heartfelt way. Kitsune Games and MidBoss have given players a wealth of tools to create some cool levels and minigames, and I cannot wait to see what players create!

Reus 2, from developer Abbey Games and publisher Firesquid Games, is a fun god simulator that is easy to pick up and easier to enjoy. The controls might fight back a bit, as well as the information architecture the game features, but in the end, it’s quite fun and smartly designed.

Compared to recent Far Cry games, Primal is neither a relief nor a disappointment. It's really good at being violent open-world base-conquering simulator and it has a smattering of neat toys. Far Cry Primal is another One Of Those with a few wild tangents stretching and searching for new limitations. It's a predictable, albeit competently constructed, status quo machine humming along through another entry.

TEW2 is a great game, tempered a bit by combat woes but nonetheless a game I gladly recommend to fans of the first or newcomers to the series (or genre, for that matter).

Alan Wake's American Nightmare is Alan Wake with the benefit of proper editing and revision.

While still shy of greatness, it's definitely worth a look for Spidey fans or anyone who enjoys third person action.

Rise of the Ronin is not merely an amalgamation of open-world tropes with punishing combat. While its side activities may be unremarkable and its serene world more barren than alive, each system feeds into itself. This is done in service to further expand upon Team NINJA’s character-driven combat fantasy, one supplemented by a narrative housed in cultural and political intrigue during one of Japan’s most turbulent periods. Whether looking for a casual, open-world jaunt or a ferocious action-adventure, Rise of the Ronin is steeped in choice.

Unless you fall squarely within the niche targeted by Band Hero’s formula, you’ll likely find that, primarily thanks to the musical selections, the experience is lacking the same sense of authenticity and grandeur typical of its pedigree.

Gearbox's release of Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition brings the missing piece of the franchise to current generation consoles. Mechanical and visual improvements solidify Borderlands has always been a fun, beautiful game that was quite forward-thinking despite some things not aging well.

Hindsight is effective with its emotional intentions, powerful in its storytelling, and light in its interactivity options. You may not play this more than once, but the impact of the game’s purpose will resonate for a while.

The Director’s Cut of Wasteland 2 is no doubt an excellent game at the top of its genre, but the Switch version has some technical issues that keep it from being a clear cut recommendation. Still, priced at $30, and given the quality of the game outside of some technical gripes, it’s well worth your consideration.