Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a stunning, ambitious first outing for Sandfall Interactive.

FIFA 18 relies a little too much on back-patting and the illusion of choice during its story mode, but it’s still remarkable how well Electronic Arts managed to tell the tale of Alex Hunter and his family. The soccer on the field more than backs up the writing, with rewarding gameplay that can entertain even those who normally hate the sport. Just make sure that you carve out plenty of time and say farewell to your family members for the foreseeable future, because you’re going to need all the extra time you can get.

Gran Turismo 7 is a comprehensive racing simulator with features that will please series fans, those looking to learn about cars, and people who just want to race casually. While this simulator is more focused on making the player feel elegant rather than exhilarated, it sticks to its vision and highlights the power of the PS5.

Season: A Letter to the Future is a meditative indie adventure that rewards players who are willing to slow down and take it all in. Even when its written story wanders, its vibrant world and detailed sound design always speaks for itself.

Replaying stages to get everything is part of Treasure Tracker’s pleasure, but it doesn’t come at the expense of variety.

Mario Party Superstars is the best game in the series, bringing a better selection of minigames and fewer gameplay gimmicks.

While it would be accurate to call the game a spinoff of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, that’s selling it short; it’s a full-fledged sequel, just played in a different key. Three Hopes doesn’t have the series’ signature turn-based tactics, but just about everything else is there amid its flurry of Dynasty Warriors-sized action. With no expenses spared when it comes to the mainline series’ RPG hooks, developer Omega Force creates an action game that still makes players feel like a five-star general.

A Highland Song successfully brings the awe-inspiring freedom of Breath of the Wild to the Scottish Highlands.

Curtain Call is a rhythm game filled with artful nostalgia, but elements like the Quests elevate it beyond enjoyable pandering.

Is it overflowing with newness for anyone that’s already gorged the past year’s soccer bounty? Nope. But it’s still the very best soccer game in town.

Neon White takes some big swings with its card-shooter/platformer premise and fortunately doesn’t miss. Its execution-heavy action is wildly fast and fun, pushing players to complete complex demon-slaying gauntlets that pepper in exciting twists through the game’s last moments. Levels can feel disappointingly linear and longer stages can drag the momentum down, but the action is largely satisfying from start to finish. That would be enough to make this a worthwhile package, but its surprisingly thoughtful commentary on spirituality and strong late-game hooks make this a game worthy of divine judgment.

“Endearing” is the best way to describe Tiny Tina's Wonderlands. It constantly laughs at itself and wants you to smile and laugh along with it, and most of the time, I did. Borderlands fans and tabletop game enthusiasts in particular will find a lot to love here. Even if you’re not a longtime fan, there really is something for everyone to enjoy in Tina’s latest adventure.

Black Myth: Wukong is only a Soulslike in the way Stellar Blade is, and that's to its credit. It lightly borrows elements from the subgenre but carves out a niche for themselves by focusing on its key differences. Despite some performance issues and frustrating difficulty spikes, Black Myth: Wukong’s frenetic combat and emphasis on fluid movement make it feel unlike any of its other contemporaries.

While Resident Evil 2 could have bettered its story structure for 2019, there’s no denying that Capcom has delivered an impressive remake fully worthy of its title. The scares, classic environments, and drama are all fully intact. With voice performances that aren’t laughable and an upgrade to the audio, it all feels way more believable and authentic. Resident Evil 7 may have showed us that the series could exist as a first-person franchise, but Resident Evil 2 proves Capcom has plenty more to offer in the future.

Viewfinder is an ingenious puzzle game that wows at every turn, even if its sci-fi story stretches to find deeper meaning in its mind-bending photo hook.

"Potential" is the word I keep coming back to when playing through Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe. I'm smitten with every piece of the package on its own merits, but I'm also left excited about what it could signal for the future of the series. There's a lot of room for Hal Laboratories to take the combo-based platforming of Magolor Epilogue or the progression systems of Merry Magoland and use them to innovate its next original Kirby game, whether it's 2D or not. This may be a blast from the past, but it's even more exciting when viewed as a peek at what's to come.

Dead Cells is frenetism in its purest form, and one of the few games in the genre that can grant a sense of progression and skill in the first few minutes, without demanding a grind from the player or a slow-paced levelling system. It takes you in with a powerful soundtrack and a gorgeous visual style, but it’s the combat and how quick and responsive the controls are that make it stand out from the rest.

It still has some of the technical issues we’ve seen from 4A Games before, but Metro Exodus stands as a terrific post-apocalyptic shooter that expands on the series’ customization options and environments without ignoring its survival roots. 4A Games remains committed to turning author Dmitry Glukhovsky’s stories into (barely) living and breathing worlds, offering brief glimpses of hope in an otherwise depressing and occasionally nihilistic tale. Exodus establishes Metro as one of the great narrative-focused shooters, and it proves that exciting action doesn’t have to come at detriment to story.

God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla isn't just a fun free DLC; it's a fitting epilogue to the entire God of War series.

Unicorn Overlord is the strategy RPG fans of the genre have been waiting for.

The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story is an exhilarating action title that you don't need to be a League fan to enjoy.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity sets the bar for both Nintendo spinoffs with A+ storytelling that enhances Breath of the Wild’s world and deceptively varied, character-driven combat. It’s still a Dynasty Warriors game at heart, for better or worse, but the game makes that feel like less of a backhanded caveat and more of a fresh start for a polarizing genre.

Moss: Book 2 is a confident VR sequel that iterates on its predecessor just enough to make it feel new again.

So long as you're willing to play by its rules, Lost Ark it is an absolute blast thanks to its perfect blend of visceral ARPG combat and steady MMO progression.

American Arcadia turns The Truman Show into an interactive indie thriller you don't want to miss.

Elden Ring is a new gold standard for open-world game design, dishing out some of the best freeform exploration since The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Curiosity is rewarded at every turn and secrets truly feel secret. For Souls veterans, the number of tools available adds a new level of depth to its combat that makes constant experimentation worthwhile. Even with those strengths, it’s hard to outright ignore the ugly quirks in FromSoftware’s games, which stick out even more on new tech. A stubbornness to fix archaic issues holds back what should be a once-in-a-generation game, but Elden Ring is still a landmark accomplishment in any case.

Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is a delight to play through all these years later. It's faithful to the original, features a narrative that feels more relevant than ever, and still dishes out tense emergent moments through its timer system. When it does make a tweak, it often feels intentional and never hurts the game. If you haven't played a Dead Rising game before, this is the place to start.

Playing through Kingdom Hearts 2.5 HD ReMix, it’s hard not to hope that making this collection has shown Nomura how best to approach the final, still upcoming chapter in his unlikely opus.

Helldivers 2 is one of the most entertaining co-op games you can get on PS5.

For anyone who’s yet to play one of gaming’s horror greats, the new take on Dead Space is a fairly definitive version of the experience. Its limb-carving combat and claustrophobic atmosphere still outclass its peers 15 years later, and that fact is only emphasized with some smart adjustments. If you’ve played the 2008 version to death, though, nothing here is likely to deepen your relationship with it. It’s a remake for remake’s sake.

A challenging game with a colossal chip on its shoulder.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor doesn’t reinvent the formula of Fallen Order and still suffers from some pacing and technical issues like that game did. Still, it’s one of the best single-player Star Wars experiences that I've ever played. The Empire may not be defeated by the end of Survivor, but I enjoyed exploring this beautiful galaxy and watching Cal open up along the way.

F1 2018 nails the feeling of Formula 1 like few racing games ever have.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine delivers non-stop co-op action in all its gory glory.

The Rise of the Golden Idol makes a great mystery series even better.

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden delivers both slick action and tough moral choices.

In a sea of tactical shooters, Fragpunk is the one finally willing to challenge the status quo.

Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail delivers an emotional gut punch, even if it takes some time to get there.

We wish Treyarch delivered a stellar campaign mode but it’s hard to deny that Black Ops 4 is still a success without it. The competitive multiplayer and Zombies modes are as engaging as they’ve ever been, and Blackout manages to deliver a battle royale experience we want to play way more than PUBG or Fortnite. The game certainly chased some trends this year, but its sheer polish is more than enough to make Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 the winner.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is another great PS5 exclusive that really shows what the hardware is capable of. It’s a visually detailed platformer filled with three Iron Man movies worth of thrills. The shooting suffers a bit due to some overeager DualSense integration that’s a literal pain, but Insomniac has created a colorful blockbuster that’s loaded with good, old-fashioned comic mischief.

For those whose favorite games list features the three titles in this collection, you’ll probably be over the moon with the opportunity to play them all at any time on either your TV or on the go. Those who missed out on these entries in gaming history will likely have a tough time adapting to their controls but will find wonder and joy in playing Super Mario Galaxy.

Cocoon is a mesmerizing debut for Geometric Interactive that's filled with ingenious puzzles that will unlock your animal instincts.

MLB The Show 19 stands apart from last year’s entry largely because of the excellent new March to October mode that brings a refreshing way to play through a whole season quickly. Playing through iconic events in baseball history in the Moments mode is hit or miss, but it’s a welcome addition nonetheless. Fielding is improved thanks to new player ratings and complementing animations, but overall the core gameplay is quite familiar. Sadly, Road to the Show, Franchise, and Diamond Dynasty, while still great modes, don’t turn the wheel.

Lost Records: Bloom and Rage pays tribute to 90s angst and the riot grrrl rock in a deeply moving coming of age story.

Far Cry New Dawn doesn’t feel like a true sequel to Far Cry 5. Instead, it repurposes the map as a post-apocalyptic wasteland and cleverly places the focus on scavenging for resources to make Hope County new again. The overarching emphasis on crafting compels you to explore the map far and wide, completing objectives both big and small. The result is a more rewarding Far Cry with a wider variety of missions and a deeper challenge. The story is bad, but it doesn’t get in the way. Overall, it’s the best Far Cry game available on PS4 and Xbox One.

Even as it shows its age, Shadow of the Colossus is still a classic, and worthy of our time. Should you feel an urge to go back to it, the remake is definitely the best, most beautiful version of the game to date.

Graceful movement and jaw-dropping fights against colossal monsters make Solar Ash a worthy follow-up to Hyper Light Drifter. [Recommended]

The core of the gameplay remains largely untouched, but what new additions there are enrich the overall experience. The first classic 2D-style Metroid in 13 years (since the GBA Metroid: Zero Mission, also directed by Sakamoto), Metroid: Samus Returns is the franchise in top form, and makes an excellent case for the old masters.

Detroit: Become Human pushes ‘Heavy Rain’ and ‘Beyond: Two Souls’ designer David Cage's vision of games as playable movies further than it has ever gone. The results are mixed, but it’s an undeniable accomplishment as an adventure game.

By mitigating some of the grind, introducing meaningful mechanical changes, and convincing new players to stick around by getting straight into some epic battles, Monster Hunter World emphasizes the series’ biggest strength — the colossal showdowns.

Hitman 3 is a great swan song to a fun trilogy of games, held up by its intricate locations and humorous gameplay. Hopefully future updates bring some important additions that extend its replay value and turn it into the ultimate stealth game it is within spitting distance of being.

Horizon Forbidden West improves on just about every aspect of its predecessor with better combat, machines, and traversal.

Once it gets its claws in, it’s hard to escape Monster Hunter Wilds’ grasp. It balances high-octane spectacle with the kind of meditative RPG progression hooks that live service games dream of. It’s a successful evolution from Monster Hunter World, though one that still can’t quite find the best way to introduce new players to its intimidating world.

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition gives a great RPG the second chance it deserves.

New Horizons is packed with delight. It’s fun, with rare cross-generation appeal. The deserted island theme had some worried the latest entry would stray from the traditional model, but those fears should quickly be alleviated. It does, however, allow for new experiences and prevent the series from feeling stale almost 20 years after its debut.

Bloodborne is a significant evolution of the Souls series, but it comes with some new problems too.

In many ways, Metaphor: ReFantazio feels like the next mainline entry in the Persona series in all but name. In others, it carves out an identity all its own. The strategic turn-based combat system is just as satisfying as ever, while Archetypes and globe-trotting put a new perspective on an otherwise familiar experience. I could see the plot twists coming a mile away, but the endearing cast of characters made the journey worthwhile. It’s not perfect, but Atlus has earned my vote of confidence. Consider me a follower.

Riders Republic makes the best use of Ubisoft’s open-world template. It’s a consistently fun extreme sports game with tons of variety, a wealth of challenges to chase, and excellent social hooks. All of its sporting events are easy to pick up and play, making it perfectly suited for quick drop-ins. Its sense of style is a little out of whack and it doesn’t have the most elegant camera solution, but I’m always eager to fire it up and see how much more it can one-up its zaniness.

Mario Kart World delivers fine-tuned racing, strong multiplayer potential, and a bevy of unlockables that keep every session rewarding. But its tacked on exploration component, one that tries too hard to force long-term success, is a reminder that even a driver with a tremendous lead on the competition still isn’t safe from a dreaded blue shell.

Tron: Identity is a smart and respectful use of the classic series, turning it into a gripping sci-fi detective story.

Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble is the robust revival this classic series deserved.

Bayonetta 3 is the series’ wildest entry to date, mixing PlatinumGames’ knack for fast-paced combat with unbelievably entertaining set pieces that just get bigger and bigger. The massive scope of it all makes for some sloppy moments, both technically and narratively, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find an action game that’s having as much fun as this one.

Marvel Rivals is the most entertaining hero shooter since Overwatch.

Once the story finally starts delivering on its themes in the back half of the adventure and Jot obtains all of his storybook-manipulating abilities, The Plucky Squire is a joy. We’re entering a postmodern era for the video game industry where the art itself can start discussing what came before, who made it, and why it was made. The Plucky Squire finds itself standing tall in the middle of that trend. It's a must-play if you want to understand why game developers, artists, or any kind of creator makes things in spite of so many forces trying to blot their work out.

Tchia pays tribute to New Caledonia with a gorgeous open-world game that takes the right notes from Breath of the Wild.

MechWarrior 5: Clans delivers 100 tons of BattleMech joy with outstanding missions and superb storytelling.

Madden NFL 20 is a stellar football sim, especially for those who enjoy Franchise or Ultimate Team. The reworked player ratings system adds authenticity to the on-the-field gameplay, and Ultimate Team is easier to follow than ever before. It’s not without its faults, though. The running game feels like a cheat code, and Face of the Franchise is a boring, poorly written career mode.

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is a top-notch spinoff that cleverly distills the complexities of Monster Hunter into a friendlier RPG. Rewarding combat and a thoroughly entertaining story make up for repetitive map design and a stuttering frame rate. For those who found Monster Hunter Rise too intimidating, this is a better way to get a grasp on the basic ideas in a less demanding, turn-based format.

Despite its poor Arcade Quest mode, Tekken 8 is another great entry in one of the fighting genre's best series. Whether you come for the story or just the core brawling, the team at Bandai Namco makes sure there's something everyone can enjoy here. It's a tight package that loads a lot of surprises into every corner and another fighting game that's very much worth your time in a true golden age for the genre.

El Paso, Elsewhere is an intense, personal indie shooter that you'll want to see through to the end.

Splatoon 3 is a game that’s easy to take for granted. It’ll be tempting to write it off as another fun multiplayer game in a crowded sea -- and one that costs $60 more than some perfectly playable alternatives. But what the Switch exclusive does here should be the norm, not the exception. It’s a fully formed and carefully constructed game out the gate, rather than a good proof of concept that’ll live and die by the developer’s ability to keep up. It doesn’t build out its world after the fact through supplementary YouTube videos and it doesn’t need to pepper in references to other beloved media to manufacture entertainment. Everything you need to enjoy the experience is there on day one, not hiding in a development roadmap.

From a gameplay standpoint, though, this is the best place to enter Bungie’s shared-world shooter, and the most fun Destiny has ever been.

Absolver’s is hyper-focused on its fighting system, and the work Sloclap did there pays off. Its combination of cool systems, like learning fighting moves from enemies and player mentors, creating your own combos, and carefully and strategically using them during fights, makes every battle feel intense and important, especially in multiplayer scenarios. While everything else surrounding that system feels a bit anemic by comparison, the mix of great ideas Absolver brings to its core concept carries the rest, and should inspire plenty of other fighting and action games.

Unknown 9: Awakening is a promising start for a new series once you learn to love its combat.

One Piece Odyssey isn’t the most perfect adventure, but it is a grand one that plays to its strengths. It sets out to be a journey that anyone can enjoy, and achieves it by embracing well-established formulas while adding its own flavor into the mix. While there are a few bad winds pushing the ship away from the harbor of being a perfect experience, this is an excellent addition to the JRPG genre and one that I think you should try out whether you’re a big One Piece fan or just an appreciator of JRPGs.

With Nifty Knitting, The Sims 4's expansion pack strategy hits a sweet spot.

Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake gives an NES classic the royal treatment it deserves.

After playing Neo Dimension, it’s easy to see why fans have been so eager to see Fantasian break out of Apple Arcade. Its unique spin on a turn-based battle system was engaging on a mobile device, and its stunning dioramic visuals made its colors pop out of the screen. Despite some bumpy character and story developments, Fantasian Neo Dimension solves a bit of the original’s fragmented story while also giving it new life on it on other platforms with additional features.

Hardspace: Shipbreaker is an intricate anti-puzzle game that delivers a searing commentary on corporate abuse.

A solid shooter standing atop fan service and nostalgia.

Emio — The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is a refreshingly mature turn for Nintendo in more ways than one.

Resident Evil 3 is uncomfortable but exhilarating. There’s a thrill in the danger, like roaming a haunted house or riding a roller coaster.

The Evil Within 2 overhauls every aspect of the original to create a surprisingly adept sequel that makes us a hungry for more. Both gunplay and stealth have been refined and lend themselves well to the restrained open world format. Its surprisingly heartfelt narrative and many twist and turns round out the experience.

The Talos Principle 2 turns puzzle solving into a sacred act with its super-sized suite of intellectual challenges.

If you are looking for a fresh new multiplayer arena shooter experience, LawBreakers is great at blazing its own zero-g path, and does so at a $30 “budget” price. That’s if you’re looking. With more open-ended multiplayer shooters available than ever, you may be fine with the shooter you’ve got.

Rumbleverse's unique fusion of battle royale structure and fighting game depth is a great, though sometimes imperfect, match.

Splatoon is a beautiful new twist on the shooting genre, but lacks team chat and other modern norms.

Respawn Entertainment has shown a game is definitely more than the sum of its parts, and this sampling of classic Star Wars tropes and modern gameplay trends makes for a flashy and frantic adventure. Put it on your must-play list for the holidays.

Forza Motorsport cements itself as one of the best-looking and most approachable racing simulators to date. It can sometimes feel too clinical, but the core driving is perfectly fine-tuned. It’s a tremendous first-party visual showpiece that demonstrates the power of the Xbox Series X and provides a consistent sense of progression to modify the experience. The work was worth it; Forza Motorsport seems well-equipped to handle the long live service journey ahead.

It takes seeing through the entire story for me to see the full picture. Yes, Death Stranding 2 is anxious about the side effects of mass connection. It isn’t blind to all the ways it can be manipulated and used to rob people of their humanity rather than enrich it. But it doesn’t give up hope even in its darkest self-reflection. It weighs the pros and cons and still comes out with a desire to keep us all together. The danger is out there whether we’re on the grid or not. We may as well stand in the rain together, with a song and a smile.

Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle is not perfect, but most its problems can be ignored because they are relegated to portions of the game you can skip or speed through. The core experience of the game, the battles, are inventive and fun. Though it is still a strategy game, and therefore a niche experience that appeals to a specific type of player, its carefree tone, bright colors, and fast pace make it feel inviting. There’s plenty of nuance to find in Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, so long as you’re willing indulge its playful side.

Diablo 4 strides out of the gate with an impressive blend of engrossing storytelling, engaging gameplay, and top-tier audio-visual design. As a result, it stands as a groundbreaking addition to the ARPG genre, despite my hovering concerns about its compulsory persistent multiplayer and potential future microtransactions.

Were I grading Xenoblade Chronicles 3 on story alone, it would be a 10 out of 10. If you get emotionally attached to characters, especially passionate ones who don’t want to hurt people and are just trying their best, then it’s a must-play. You just have to be ready for an action-RPG that isn't always the picture of elegance -- and be prepared to live with those quirks through a long, long adventure.

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope shines thanks to its reworked tactics, which make way for some of the best turn economy I’ve seen in the genre to date. Though it doesn’t fix all of its predecessor’s issues, it's a worthy follow-up that ranks among the Nintendo Switch’s very best exclusives.

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty lands in a happy medium for the Soulslike genre. It has enough mechanics to stand out from the typical FromSoftware disciple, but it's still familiar enough for veterans of the genre. It isn’t groundbreaking, but its difficulty and the satisfaction of overcoming obstacles still make for a fun (and frustrating) experience. Pair that with a thoughtful use of Chinese mythology that sets it apart from any other game on the market and you’ve got another strong Soulslike to bang your head against until FromSoftware unleashes its next epic.

Batman: Arkham Shadow isn't just a great VR game; it's one of the best Batman games ever.

Sid Meier's Civilization VII succeeds at making one of the most storied strategy game franchises still feel fresh.

Animal Well's deep secrets and arresting atmosphere will suck you down the rabbit hole.