Mario’s first turn on the Switch is fun, but lacks the innovation and creativity of Nintendo’s best.

Baldur's Gate 3 is a staggering CRPG with a level of player freedom that make its possibilities feel endless.

So long as you’re willing to meticulously survey Hyrule like an archaeologist digging for fossils, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is an engrossing sequel full of mysteries to solve and experiments to conduct. It’s a digital laboratory that I imagine will still be producing unbelievable discoveries 10 years from now.

Even if it isn’t an overhaul of Elden Ring, Shadow of the Erdtree is a massive achievement in both open-world and DLC design. It’s a daunting task to provide new content for one of the most critically acclaimed games of all time, especially with the expectations surrounding it. However, the over two-year wait was well worth it as there’s a staggering amount of content to play with here. Those who love Elden Ring will experience the same sense of awe and surprise that they felt on their first playthrough. The massive world, challenging bosses, and game-changing equipment make this expansion feel like an unofficial sequel.

Four years ago, Sony introduced the tagline “play has no limits” to advertise the PS5. Astro Bot is the first PlayStation exclusive since then that truly believes in that mission statement.

Thoughtful in both its presentation and its mechanics, to simply say God of War surpasses the games that came before it would not do it justice. It takes a dormant franchise, one that’s worse for wear, and uses that baggage to create one of the most compelling experiences we’ve played in a long time.

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.

God of War Ragnarok is much bigger than its predecessor, though not inherently better. It’s more reminiscent of the jump between the original God of War in 2005 and God of War 2, offering a largely similar experience down to its plot beats. That larger scope makes for a messier story that loses some of the previous game’s intimacy, but the trade-off is even sharper combat that further establishes the franchise as the God of action games.

The Last of Us Part II is a gut punch in the best way...A tour de force that takes the best parts of the original and molds them into their finest forms. The story will leave you reeling, and there are several unexpected turns that will keep you invested throughout. The level of detail and quality in the world creation and story building are at the top of their class.

I’m thankful for the cosmic coincidence that put a Dead Space and Resident Evil 4 remake just months apart from one another. Both projects show two valid, but completely different paths forward for game remakes. Dead Space just preserves the original, faithfully communicating what it was like playing it in 2008. As a counterpoint, Resident Evil 4 shows the value of careful reimagination. It isn’t just in conversation with the 2005 version, but with the two decades worth of games that sprung from it. It’s the past, present, and future of action-horror rolled up into an instant classic that stands side by side with its predecessor.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a game so comprehensive and engaging that it’s difficult to see where Nintendo and Sakurai can take the series next. The sheer number of options and modes you have to choose from can keep you and your friends busy for hours or days at a time, and even those uninterested in fighting games will be impressed by the reverence and love that its developers showed to every included franchise. You can’t own a Switch without owning Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and for some, it might even be the only game you need on the system.

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

It’s the perfect racing game for the vast majority of gamers. Even for race sim fans, it’s going to be a delightful diversion for tired people who just can’t be bothered to focus hard and be very serious.

In another brilliantly self-reflexive action RPG, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth uses gaming’s most iconic bit of dramatic irony to fuel a deeply moving tale of self-doubt and personal rediscovery. It’s a bigger, at times less focused adventure, but one that leaves the kind of life-affirming imprint bound to make it another instant classic.

With its wealth of unpredictable levels, Super Mario Bros. Wonder is the series’ best 2D entry since its SNES days. It’s still the same familiar platformer, but one that’s been given a new lease on life thanks to a fantastic new art style, delightfully absurd transformations, and flexible difficulty. It’s the closest I’ve gotten to recapturing those magic moments with the original platformers, even if there’s still room for Mario to grow into his new overalls.

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

Forza Horizon 5 doubles down on the series' winning formula to give players another hit racing game superpowered by next-gen tech.

Blue Prince is the kind of engrossing puzzle game that will change your brain chemistry.

Whether it bests past entries like Super Smash Bros. Melee or Brawl doesn’t matter; it’s a spectacular work unto itself.

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.

UFO 50 will remind you why you fell in love with video games in the first place.

Bayonetta 2 is a game whose gargantuan barrage of sex, violence, and surrealism sets the mind on fire in the best possible way.

While not without its flaws, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a monumental game.

It’s hard to say how things will feel as the main story continues in smaller updates over the next few years, but what’s on offer right now suggests Shadowbringers is the finest storyline we’ve had yet. The only thing holding it back now is a truly seamless world – and that’s more a consequence of early design limitations that can’t be undone. If you haven’t played Final Fantasy XIV yet, you’re really missing out on something special.

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.

Split Fiction is hokey, muddled, and needlessly self-defeating. It’s also lively, inventive, and so earnest that it’s hard to be mad at it for long. These aren’t opposing forces that tear Hazelight’s latest apart; the clumsiness is inseparable from the delight. Both are born from the ambitious vision of artists who still believe in the magic of creativity and are willing to take big swings in its honor. Sometimes it absolutely whiffs. We all do. Fail again. Fail better. But it’s those moments where it connects, where simple ideas turn into unforgettable spectacle, that remind us why art can’t be automated. Even the most advanced machine can never dream bigger than a human with a heart.

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.

Donkey Kong Bananza could've easily been a reskinned Mario game with Stars replaced with bananas, but Nintendo chose the riskier path. While it has the familiar structure of past 3D platformers, everything about how I engaged with Bananza felt like a deconstruction of the genre (pun intended). While it may stick a bit too close to a familiar core structure, Bananza goes deep in exploring clever and unique ways to use its destructive systems to build a confident new platformer.