A (mega)ton of adventure awaits those who have the hours to fully experience Fallout 4’s beautifully devastated wasteland. Best of all, players will be able to experience it however they wish thanks to near infinite gameplay options.

Immortality finds creator Sam Barlow building on the found-footage FMV framework of Her Story and Telling Lies in ambitious and surprising new ways. That boldness pays off in the frame-shifting narrative, which encompasses three meticulously crafted feature films, their creation, and the sinister truth of what happened to the woman who starred in them. But the “match cut” system you use to navigate between clips and discover new ones means the actual process of piecing together the story is messier and less satisfying than in his previous work.

What Remains of Edith Finch masterfully shows that narrative-driven games can tell stories in creative ways without sacrificing gameplay. Ultimately, though, the experience is let down by the story itself, which doesn’t do much of anything interesting with its characters or subject matter.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution – Director’s Cut artfully blends the action-oriented appeal of first-person shooters with the tension of a solid stealth title and the exploratory wonder of role-playing games. Honestly, it’s a rare gem, and one that offers a little something for everyone without compromising on any one aspect—both the sum of its parts and yet greater than.

Yet another great collection of pinball tables, Marvel Pinball: Avengers Chronicles is a delight for comic book fans and pinball lovers alike.

Mario Kart 8 looks spectacular, sounds impressive, and delivers solid racing action worthy of the series. But it’s also that rare Nintendo game that manages to be less than the sum of its impressive parts thanks to some ill-advised design choices, half-baked ideas, and gimped Battle Mode.

Super Mario Maker’s a glorified level maker, but it’s a good one. Though it’s a little short on content, there’s plenty to play around with, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the community can make with it. In the meantime, it’s easy to learn, it’s fun to play, and it’s packed with enough Easter eggs to put the Easter Bunny out of business.

While Nier: Automata at times feels unpolished or under-developed, when taken as an entire experience, it’s a fantastic journey of a group of androids struggling to live up to their purpose in life. Here, unconventional narrative design meets tightly-developed combat gameplay, and that turns out to be one heck of a combination.

The Last of Us was a powerful example of the potential in videogame storytelling. Left Behind adds to and continues that level of quality, giving us a glimpse into a moment in time for two characters that’s both engaging and gratifying.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is the first game I’ve played since the ninth-generation consoles launched that feels like a true next-gen title. Insomniac Games has done everything that it needed to do in making both a sequel to its longest-running franchise and a true next-gen exclusive. While it might not technically be a PlayStation 5 launch title, it feels like one—a real preview of the console’s capabilities. But beyond that, Rift Apart is just an absolute blast to play.

As long as Doom Eternal didn’t stray too far from its predecessor, it was going to be a good game. But id Software comes surprisingly close to muddying everything with new mechanics. The flamethrower and rechargeable chainsaw give you more options during battle, but they can also feel like unnecessary additions. Still, a deeper lore, a banging soundtrack, and plenty of demons to gib leave Doom Eternal in a happy place—relatively speaking.

Shovel Knight is a pretty stellar homage to simpler times, but it’s so unabashedly an homage that it never steps out of the shadows cast by the components it’s built from—DuckTales, Mega Man, Simon’s Quest. And while derivative doesn’t necessarily mean bad—far from it in Shovel Knight’s case—it certainly doesn’t make it any less pandering in a lot of ways.

Graphically, the game is hit or miss, littered with glitches and inconsistent quality seen in the player models. Throw in a lack of overall improvement year over year, and we’re left with a game that is good, but definitely not at the level we’re used to.

XCOM 2 is a generally solid experience, but it is definitely one of those titles that may not be for everyone due to its punishing game style and occasional unpredictably of success.

A competent and fun stealth experience brought down by some technical issues and the inexplicable lack of new game plus.

As far as expansions go, Enemy Within takes a relatively safe approach, opting to flesh out Enemy Unknown with new maps, enemies, and upgrades rather than redefining its core. Thankfully, it works, because the additions are every bit as smart and enjoyable as the main game.

Horizon Forbidden West builds upon the formula of the first game in smart (if not always revolutionary) ways to craft an even stronger open-world experience. The stunning visuals make for a great showpiece of what Sony’s first-party studios can accomplish on PlayStation 5, with gameplay that holds up its end of the bargain. Unfortunately, storytelling missteps and a lack of polish keep Aloy’s latest adventure just shy of joining the all-time greats.

Whether new to the franchise or a long-time fan, there’s something for everyone in Fire Emblem Fates’ three games. Unfortunately, when you find what you’re looking for in one, you might be disappointed when it’s then not present in the other titles.

Deathloop layers a refined take on Arkane’s signature mix of ability-driven action and stealth onto a time-looping premise, and the result is one of most memorable games of recent years. While many of the pieces may be familiar, the combination is fresh and full of surprises.

A terrific blend of story, gameplay, and graphics, Ori and the Blind Forest is an unforgettable debut for indie developer Moon Studios.

Metroid Dread is a superb mix of action and exploration that brings Nintendo’s classic series into the modern era in a way that feels like a new beginning even as it positions itself as an end to a 35-year saga. Samus, her abilities, and the challenges she faces have changed and expanded over time, but the excitement and satisfaction her adventures provide continue to this day.

If you care about The Walking Dead, zombie games, or just spectacular storytelling, The Long Road Ahead will hook you to this series if you weren't already. And if you were hooked to begin with, then you're like me probably, begging Telltale to get on it and release the next episode already!

Super Mario Maker 2 will please both dedicated level-builders and newcomers. Story Mode gives players a nice pu-pu platter of professionally made Mario levels, and the inclusion of 3D World’s suite of tools and moves offer even the most seasoned veterans more with which to experiment. But in terms of pure scope and ambition, Super Mario Maker 2 more closely resembles the “Deluxe” Wii U rereleases that have become staples of the Switch’s library. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, since the formula is so exhaustive already. Just don’t go in expecting a true evolution of the series—and get that Switch Online subscription ready.

The world has long waited for a proper new chapter of the groundbreaking Devil May Cry series, and in Devil May Cry 5, Capcom has given us an experience that was very much worth that wait. While the game requires players to really invest in its concepts before its depth truly shines through, that investment will definitely pay off for those who put in the time and energy to master DMC5’s three diverse heroes.

Though marred with a dismal launch, plagued with server issues which call into question the logic behind using this person for a single-player game, Diablo III still manages to deliver an unparalleled action/RPG experience. Stunning environments, awe inspiring enemies and the most addictive loot system ever makes this the new high water mark for dungeon crawlers. Fans of this type of game should already be playing this masterpiece.

Although one of the better Vita games out there, the touch screen gimmicks still get in the way sometimes of the franchise's core values.

FIFA's action on the attack and near the goal has always been subpar, but I've cut it some slack in the past due to upgrades and improvements in other areas. Not this year-this is as weak an effort as I've seen from FIFA in a decade, and the whole affair screams "Roster Update 2013" from the get-go.

It’s long been known that Ikaruga is one of the true classics of the top-down shooter world, but going back to the game again on the Nintendo Switch really cements that legacy. This is a brutal but beautiful, relentless yet rewarding, and frantic yet fun bullet hell challenge that feels as fresh now as it did 17 years ago in its original arcade release.