You’ll go into Team Ninja’s latest project thinking it’s Dark Souls with samurais and ninjas, but come out knowing it to be its own unique experience. Nioh is an enthralling adventure, filled with great combat, characters, monsters, and locations, and only really stumbles when it tries to be a little too much like other games out there.

New Leaf brings updates both major and minor, but the most important of them for me was the push for customization. You’ll now spend far more time making your town just the way you want it to be and personalizing your character to suit your specific tastes—and, really, that’s what Animal Crossing should be about.

Speaking as a student undoubtedly on the same level as most people who would invest in Rocksmith 2014 as guitar-learning software and not a music game they can use their own guitar with, there’s nothing about my time with the game—and my development as a guitarist through its use—that leaves me with any doubt about its efficacy.

It's been an impressive run, but after a decade of the same basic experience, I can't escape the feeling that Halo needs to try a bit harder. Fans of the game will have a blast here, and the multiplayer is something special, but if you expected Halo 4 to keep up with the Joneses, you might be disappointed.

Injustice 2 is one of the most complete fighting games you’ll ever play. From the story to the Multiverse Mode, there is something for everyone here to enjoy. And with how addictive the gear system is, you’ll be hard-pressed to put it down.

The Witness is the rare game that boils down to a question of faith. No video, screenshot, or review can really explain why it’s such a worthwhile use of your time without spoiling the experience, so you’ll have to trust me when I tell you it’s worth every second—provided you have a bit of patience and are up for an intellectual challenge.

Doom was crafted by a team that clearly loves the series, delivering chainsaws, explosions, and demon-slaying heavy metal all sealed with a kiss.

Battlefield 1 does a service to the series’ core fanbase with a unique, yet strangely familiar take on World War I.

At first glance, Dead Cells might seem like another overhyped Metroidvania-style platformer trying to break into the stuffed platformer genre, but it's actually worthy of all its praise. Motion Twin's impeccable implementation of roguelike elements into a classic 2D exploration game is the key ingredient that makes it all work, and the impressive controls don't hurt either. The enemy variety and story might not be groundbreaking, but the positives eclipse any of the game's small negative aspects. Dead Cells is a standout in the genre.

Final Fantasy VII Remake manages to balance the introduction of new concepts with faithfully recreations of the original game’s most memorable aspects, but it also unnecessarily pads out this first installment in a larger story with too much downtime between its most striking moments.

The best main Pokémon series entry in years, X and Y sees several new features breathe life into a process that had grown stale and stagnant. Newcomers and longtime trainers alike should be able to find the joy in catching ’em all once again.

Guacamelee! feels welcomingly familiar but still manages to bring something new to the table through excellent combat and a whole lot of charm.

Astral Chain is loud, brash, exciting, and, in the end, a warning about the dangers of unquestioned loyalty. Its hyperkinetic action sequences and colorful characters might make the game seem like it isn’t interested in offering more than intricately designed fights and a straightforward genre story, but stick around for its entirety and its cast of 2070s police officers show themselves to be more than just cartoon cut-outs of sci-fi cops.

A couple technical issues aside, Sun/Moon might be the best Pokémon game yet. It freshens up a formula some of us PokéManics might not have realized was growing stale until now. Trials and Grand Trials provide variations on familiar gameplay, and the removal of HMs and telling players how effective their moves are rejuvenates battling.

While there have been many fighting games based on the Dragon Ball franchise, Dragon Ball FighterZ marks a modern approach through the means of fast-paced action. From its breathtaking visuals to ease of gameplay mastery, the new fighter is a good stepping stone to expand the fan base of the genre. However, it may not satisfy players who are looking for complexity.

The remake of The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening is stuck between two places—the past and the present. Chances are that you’ve already made up your mind about whether or not to play it. It’s a classic Zelda game given a second chance with a striking visual language and evocative, haunting musical reinterpretations. Making the jump from the Game Boy to the Switch means that you’ll spend a lot less time changing items in the menu and much more time appreciating the meticulous clockwork of Koholint Island’s challenges.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey lives up to its namesake. By fully investing in becoming an action RPG, Odyssey’s characters, combat, story, and scope are beyond anything the series has accomplished so far. Its ambitions might get the better of it sometimes, like in how it divides its story moments or in how the leveling system can get out of hand, but the overall experience is, simply put, epic. Even when the game’s pacing hits a speed bump, there are plenty of engaging and rewarding side quests and distractions to keep you busy.

Marvel’s Spider-Man mixes the prestige ambitions of a Sony exclusive with the hyperkinetic fun of a great superhero game. It’s not a pairing you’d expect to work, but it mostly does here, though some aspects of the open-world design, like repetitive side content, let down the overall package.

A couple technical issues aside, Sun/Moon might be the best Pokémon game yet. It freshens up a formula some of us PokéManics might not have realized was growing stale until now. Trials and Grand Trials provide variations on familiar gameplay, and the removal of HMs and telling players how effective their moves are rejuvenates battling.

Forza Motorsport 6 is a welcome shot in the arm for the series. Easily the best entry the franchise has produced, Forza 6 introduces tons of new online and offline gameplay that should make players want to stay in the driver’s seat for as long as possible this fall.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge looks to bring back the glory days of Konami’s side-scrolling arcade beat ’em ups and home hits based on everyone’s favorite young green ninjas. In its visuals and gameplay, Dotemu and Tribute Games have not only matched those retro classics that they’re paying homage to here, but perhaps even surpassed them. Sadly, this trip through time is somewhat marred by inconsistent audio and an Arcade mode that feels more like a slog than a thrill.

TowerFall: Ascension might not be complicated or feature-rich, but the instant pick-up-and-play fun of its local co-op arena battles make this the best game in the PS4’s fledgling library.

Tearaway follows in the footsteps of Gravity Rush as an example of why you should own a Vita. While it isn’t always perfect as a game, it’s an amazing experience, providing an exciting and emotional journey through a world of beauty and personality.

MLB: The Show is still the premier baseball experience on consoles, but some very questionable team rankings, minimal improvements to the overall package, and subpar online gameplay mean that MLB 13 isn’t a huge leap forward for the franchise—we’ll have to wait for the PS4 for that.

Psychonauts 2 recaptures the humor, heart, and much of the creative magic of the original game, with modern refinements that make it more pleasant to play. While the combat still feels a bit clunky and outdated compared to the rest of the game, fans of the original will no doubt delight in revisiting old friends and making new ones in this charming adventure.

Hitman 3 is a fantastic capstone to a standout series. Yes, a lot of what you experience will seem familiar if you’ve played the last two games, but IO Interactive continues to take interesting risks that largely play off while still perfecting the elements that make Hitman so special. The best compliment I can pay Hitman 3 is that I want to finish writing this review so I can go back to playing it.

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus’ story and imaginative level design carry the burden of its quality on their shoulders, but they’re backed up by solid shooter mechanics and really cool guns. While the experience as a whole might be inconsistent and sometimes frustrating, it’s an experience worth having. After all, you get to blow up a bunch of Nazis. Also, did we mention the guns were really cool?

The best-darned platformer you'll play all year.