There aren’t a ton of games that can make a two-decade jump and remain unscathed, but Spyro Reignited Trilogy does just that.

The beauty of its terror is that it is not earned cheaply.

It’s too funny, too unique, and too unpredictable to miss, and the Switch port, while flawed, offers an adequate way of experiencing it.

Snack World combines a tongue-in-cheek story with dungeon crawling, a loot system, and roguelike mechanics to make one surprisingly fun package.

Aphelion is a cinematic masterclass in storytelling. From the very beginning, you can tell that every moment of the game will be important. While it can't seem to keep up that same sort of engagement in the moment-to-moment gameplay, it works well enough to keep driving you forward. A short and enticing space-age mystery thriller that can satisfy from a story standpoint, but leaves a little to be desired in terms of gameplay.

Subsurface Circular is the brunch of gaming fare on Nintendo Switch — abbreviated, filling, and definitely worth the price.

Nazi Zombies [is] easily my favorite part and the best argument to buy Call of Duty: WWII.

A delightful co-op adventure set on an island brought beautifully to life by hand-drawn illustrations.

By adding in an interesting story and supporting cast the game proves it can stand on its own compared to some of the all time best in the genre. Touhou Genso Wanderer is a frustrating and wonderful dungeon crawler that fits perfectly into the doujin Touhou universe.

The game’s lengthy scenes and repeated statements can feel more like padding on the game’s runtime which makes Utawarerumono: Mask of Truth feel redundant at times, but the conclusion of the story will not disappoint the ones who have stuck with it this far. If you are a fan of visual novels that have elements of the SRPG genre, then very few games do it better than the Utawarerumono series, you won’t be disappointing.

Cyberpunk 2077 is a deeply conflicting game, one that you'll end up loving but will also hate and feel profoundly disappointed by.

The Pokemon series has rarely been known for taking major risks over the years, but Pokemon Legends: Arceus definitely goes against that trend and gives us one of the most exciting games in the franchise.

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza is a love letter to Majima's loyal fanbase, who've been in awe of his character since his original appearances. RGG has done a marvelous job capturing the old-school Pirate era with naval combat that feels arcade-like and simplistic to have fun with and sea exploration to get lost in for a few hours. Despite some reused stuff from Infinite Wealth, there's enough unique nuance to be found here from its plethora of well-written substories and the Madlantis Pirate Coliseum. Although the main story falls victim to some pacing setbacks, Majima's incredibly charismatic character, along with his merry band of Goro Pirates, keep you hooked until the end of this whimsical adventure and proves to you how he's truly special when compared to the likes of Kiryu Kazuma or Ichiban Kasuga.

MotoGP 26 continues on the legacy of this series being the best racing sim on two wheels, and yet it's also more approachable than ever with its refined and tweaked "Arcade" options as well as a shift in focus to a rider-based handling system. The racing itself is thrilling, straightforward enough, and has a high skill-ceiling that feels rewarding to work towards. An overall presentation package that isn't quite as good as some contemporaries is really the only "blemish" on another exciting and slick MotoGP experience. Oh, and the bikes look awesome in Photo Mode.

Despite the few shortcomings, Yakuza 6 is a worthy successor for the franchise and an absolutely fantastic experience that will keep most enthralled from the beginning to the end, with a whole lot of extremely welcome detours due to the wealth of side stories and additional content.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a compelling new entry in the series, taking the franchise in a new direction with more RPG-lite ideals. This decision will alienate Die Hard fans but will undoubtedly win favor with new fans willing to embrace the series. Veilguard has a fantastic tale to tell, a stunning fantasy setting to explore, a lovable cast of characters, and a dynamic three-prong combat system that offers smooth Archery, melee, and RTS mechanics. The side content and some visual details leave much to be desired, but overall, this big swing by Bioware might just usherin a fruitful new age for Dragon Age.

I appreciate what DotEmu has done with the console port of Ys Origin. A story localized this good deserves to be easily accessed by gamers on as many ports as possible.

Fans have been waiting for a follow-up with the tone of Until Dawn and it has finally arrived with The Quarry. The very likable cast and the enthralling story will keep players entertained in what is one of the most fully fleshed-out games of this genre to date, but the only question remaining is will you survive the night?

The Sexy Brutale is a refreshing new take on the classic murder mystery genre. Throughout my journey of the mansion I went through many different emotions as I raced against the clock to save the guests from their unfortunate demise. The rather short campaign should not outweigh the brilliant music, gorgeous graphical style and unique game mechanics that make up The Sexy Brutale as a whole.

Madden NFL 18, with its variety of new modes and features, has quickly become my favorite entry in the Madden series to date.

Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist Of The End & The Secret Key closes out the final chapter of Ryza’s trilogy with a powerful send-off. The addictive gameplay loop and fine-tuned crafting system will keep you entertained for dozens of hours. It expands upon what worked well in the first two entries while setting the standard for future Atelier games to come.

This game is very ambitious in terms of what has been done to the franchise up until now, and I think it is definitely going in the right direction. This is exactly what the game needed in terms of a fresh new look, and the open-world aspect of the game truly created an experience for me that I wish I would've had with all the games in the franchise coming up to this one. This game is certainly one that will please returning players and will entice new players to take a step into the amazing world of Atelier.

While it has been a long wait, Sakura Wars is a satisfying blend of everything that the franchise has done well for a new generation on PS4.

Remnant: From The Ashes was a game with massive potential that struggled under the weight of its own ambition. Remnant 2 realizes that potential and then some. Lessons have obviously been learned from last time around, and what we have here is a confident, unique experience that delivers on what it promises. I'll be playing this one for a long time to come.

Overall, I really enjoyed the 15 hours it took to finish Dragon Is Dead. With more chapters, characters, equipment, and difficulties promised with V1.0 and beyond, I’m looking forward to continuing my adventure. If they can just sort the writing out, then this game could rival the great Roguelikes of Hades and Dead Cells thanks to such an addictive gameplay loop. If you feel like you're going to bounce off of the game in the first couple of hours, I beg you to keep going. It should all click eventually, and the extra effort is worth it.

King's Bounty 2 is worth every penny for RPG enthusiasts. It's an enjoyable experience that you won't regret playing and one in which the more you immerse yourself, the more reasons you'll discover to continue playing.

Battle Chasers: Nightwar shows what an independent studio that cares about their graphic novel IP can do.

SteamWorld Dig 2 is a game that — much like the original — has no issue reveling in its simple yet undeniable gameplay loop. Fans who expect much of the same will be surprised by the polish and excellence that a hand-crafted world, power ups, and more dynamic art bring to the table.