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.

I hesitate to call Super Mario RPG an improvement over the 1996 version. It’s still the same whimsical adventure that I’ll never tire of playing, but it loses a bit of what made the original special amid a stack of tweaks that go both too far and not far enough. I imagine that a lot of players will stick to the original on future replays, opting to soak in its dense pixels and dark landscapes.

Doom: The Dark Ages delivers another dose of reliable thrills by building on the foundation established by its excellent predecessors. The power fantasy of it all is more potent than ever, but Id Software’s experiment in excess proves that there is such a thing as “too much” when it comes to video game spectacle.

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.

Ghost of Tsushima is one of the best games I’ve played this year — it might’ve been my favorite, if not for The Last Of Us Part II. Jin Sakai’s story is violent but thoughtful, delivering an experience that feels unique on the PlayStation 4 despite the fact 2020 is the console’s last year before the PlayStation 5 makes it obsolete.

There were times I wished The Alters was a pure adventure game without any of the survival elements, but that friction is what makes it work. While the interpersonal relationships and conflicts between the Jans are the heart of the experience for me, and what I can wholeheartedly recommend, I came to appreciate the basic survival loop as a way to add more agency to all the choices I made. Like all the best sci-fi stories, The Alters will leave you with plenty of philosophical questions to chew on.

Despite its rough edges, Hellblade is often stunning, and approaches mental illness with a unique blend of traditional storytelling and interactive mechanics. If you’re more interested in a stylish action game, there are certainly better options out there, but one thing is clear: No game will leave you feeling like Hellblade does.

Without the scads of small talk, Persona Q feels lost in the shadow of its parent series.

Kingdom Hearts III plays similarly to its PS2 predecessors while bringing new elements to the gameplay that make it feel incredibly modern. Each of the seven Disney worlds bring a truly magical experience, and the combat underlines this thanks to the addition of some new, truly spectacular moves. The convoluted overarching story sometimes gets in the way of the wonder and charm, but ultimately, KH3 has enough heart to keep you coming back for more.

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.

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.

Resident Evil HD not only preserves Shinji Mikami’s classic, but introduces a new control scheme that perfectly balances its delicious challenge.

MLB The Show 20 is another home run thanks to its refined gameplay and many modes.

The game never felt like a chore. Instead, I wanted to come back to it day after day, even when the workouts were making me feel the burn.

NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… confirms that the original NieR was both way ahead of its time and far behind it. The story is tremendously captivating and it’s only gotten better with newly added content. On the other side of the coin, the repetitive gameplay feels outdated even by 2010 standards. Those who press through the 30-hour adventure will be rewarded with a bold narrative odyssey. It may even outdo NieR Automata in retrospect, but it’s hard to blame anyone who’d rather watch it all on YouTube instead of playing it for themselves.

Stray isn’t a furry gimmick that’s in it for the memes. Its cat-centric gameplay brings a fresh perspective to the adventure genre, putting an emphasis on curiosity-driven exploration. Some of its gameplay ideas feel limited and underutilized, but playful cat interactions make it a warm and fuzzy experience from start to finish. Come for its adorable furball hero, but stay for the socially conscious sci-fi story about how human beings are the architects of their own downfall.

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.

Triangle Strategy delivers smart tactics, but battles play second fiddle to its dull political lore.

Starfield isn’t the generation-defining video game that overeager fans might be expecting; it’s a fairly typical, though impressively constructed Bethesda RPG where depth and stability often come at the expense of scope. The surprisingly limited base adventure isn’t so much the draw here, though. The enormous intergalactic playground feels custom-made for modders who want to explore the infinite possibilities of space just as much as Constellation and Bethesda itself.

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

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

Yes, FIFA 19 is largely the same game you got last year, especially if you don’t care about the campaign mode, The Journey. That said, it reliably delivers the excellent soccer simulation fans are looking for. While the new features don’t compliment what’s already there, they also don’t hinder an otherwise solid experience. Those who start playing FIFA 19 will find it very difficult to stop.

Despite the extreme and often cringe-worthy violence, Mortal Kombat X is quite beautiful in its own way; like visiting a museum exhibit on the human body and all the ways it can be destroyed. And like a museum, there’s plenty to see and do here, including a surprisingly intimate story, one-on-one battles, endless challenges, and a competitive, socially-connected metagame.

World of Warcraft: Shadowlands gets lost in its attempt to offer players more choice than ever before, ultimately forgetting to restock the reward machine needed to keep patrons invested.

Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp doesn’t drastically change the core gameplay from the original, but it didn’t need to. Back in 2001, Advance Wars played beautifully. A simple concept paired with deep systems allowed the series to withstand the test of time -- something that’s even clearer with a modern Switch version. Playing Re-Boot Camp feels like revisiting an old friend and finding out their best qualities remained intact over the years. For those visiting for the first time on Switch, prepare for a new lifelong friendship.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus is a step in the right direction for the aging series, even if its technical limits can't always support its ambitions.

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.

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