There is no such thing as a perfect game, but there can be a perfect experience with a title because the slight issues you may experience don’t drastically hinder your enjoyment. The latest UFC game is very close to that rare benchmark. In this day and age where release day is just the beginning of the game’s journey through patches and tweaks, EA UFC 4 is perhaps an update away from its own brand of perfection.

Let’s try a metaphor and imagine games as drinks. Fallout 4 is a fine wine, aged, complex, and evolving, likely better with a bit of wait. Bloodborne is a single malt Scotch — dense, overwhelming and rarified. Destiny might be a well made cocktail — a bit trendy, probably too expensive, but eminently satisfying and possessed of a certain technical skill. Just Cause 3 is a Miller High Life. It might not tick those other boxes of quality that those other drinks manage, but damn if I’d have it any other way.

In the same way that Fortnite perfectly captures its objective with visuals, SMB 3 nails their comedic caricatures on the diamond.

So it’s 5 levels really, but they are excellent levels, masterful executions of a brilliant concept by a team at the top of their game. And, on top of that, we’ve already got the other two games—which are available for dirt cheap, now—to make a single, expansive, globetrotting experience that sees our familiar, baldheaded puppetmaster accessing the world’s ultra-wealthy just when they thought they were invincible, dancing through the class divides like the nameless angel of death that he is, and then blowing someone up with an exploding golf ball or something.

The Gods here are more human then they've ever been, and there's something as captivating about that as there was about the larger-than-life absurdity of characters like Poseidon and Hades in the original series. God of War works for what it keeps and works for what it changes. It's a foundation for a series that's suddenly a tentpole once again.

Gris is a wonderful, gorgeous puzzle-platformer with a unique art-style, a phenomenal score and a powerful yet subtle message. I was engaged from start to finish, unable to set it down (though I hadn't planned to play through an entire game in one sitting.) The ending is surprisingly poignant for a game with no dialogue and no text. The journey to that ending is endlessly creative and fun.

I really do love this game. Yes, Bethesda doesn’t match some of its peers in many places, but in part that’s because it’s trying to do everything, all at once. But if you wanted a giant Bethesda RPG set in space with better combat and a whole lot of time to level and build things and explore and find secrets, yeah, this is it. They did it. Enjoy.

Whether you're a person who plays single-player, multiplayer, offline or online, this is the most complete sports game I've ever played. There is no such thing as a perfect sports game, but this is as close as it gets.

From the trailers, we always knew Ghost of Tsushima would be pretty. But I was not expecting a combat system this engaging and fun, or a story this gripping and emotional. It is easily one of the best games of the entire PS4 generation, and given its competition, that’s saying something.

It’s been an absolute blast playing through these games again, and it’s also served as an extended gaming history lesson.

If you’re a sports gamer who isn’t necessarily into hockey video games, you may be missing out on a title that has produced a rapidly improving product over the past two years. NHL 20 is my favorite edition of the series since NHL 13, and one of the best in franchise history.

You won’t find a more complete racing experience in gaming. In the grand scheme of things, Codemasters does most things as well if not better than every other developer of racing games in the industry. Visually, the game is stunning and the gameplay is balanced for all players. On the downside, a little more imagination would place this undisputed king of racers even higher on that mountain.

Assassin’s Creed Origins improves from its past few installments in almost every way, yet it never quite reaches the heights of the games it tries to emulate. Its combat isn’t Dark Souls level. Its quests aren’t The Witcher 3 level. Its open world isn’t…well honestly, this might actually be one of the most impressive virtual spaces I’ve ever seen, so credit where it’s due there. I do have to imagine that if you ever have loved a game in the Assassin’s Creed series that you’ll enjoy what Origins does here, but also if you don’t have 60+ hours to sink into a game as absolutely massive as this one, I don’t blame you either. But I enjoyed my time with it, more so than I was even expecting, having thought I had burned out on this franchise for good.

FIFA 19 is visually stunning, fun and deep. Aside from a few small issues, it delivers the goods and firmly establishes the latest version and the franchise as the one to beat in the virtual pitch wars.

Just when it appears as though NBA Live has closed the gap, the sheer immenseness and refined quality of the 2K experience shows us that there are levels to this game. The development team and visionaries in charge of the creative direction of the franchise have created a new layer where they alone rest in the sports video game universe. Just like LeBron James, NBA 2K18 isn't perfect, but with its ambitious new additions, refined gameplay, and a truckload of options, there's no question, it's still the best in the world.

NBA 2K’s depth continues to set the bar for the genre. Like always, NBA 2K17 is several games within one. However, the amalgamation of modes delivers an especially tight package this year...The smaller issues only slightly hamper the overall experience. 2K has delivered another classic the moment you rip off the plastic.

This is truly one of the best racing games you'll ever play.

Overall, Tears of the Kingdom is a genuine improvement and evolution over Breath of the Wild. While I still think the Link’s Awakening remake has been the best Zelda game on the Switch thus far, Tears of the Kingdom comes very close to that. The story is also a lot more poignant than many of the other games in the series and consequently Tears of the Kingdom feels a lot more considered. So get ready to go back to Hyrule, because it’s all very new again and entirely massive with it.

Overall, Super Robot Wars Y is another solid entry into the series. It’s got a great lineup and a more careful eye placed on making the game more enticing for newer players. While I am always happy to see Aura Battler Dunbine featured, I do feel that this game includes a mecha anime for almost everyone.

Gransys is a fascinating, starkly beautiful world. Character customization, combat, and the weird story and brilliant end-game all make this one of my favorite action-RPG’s of all time. Meanwhile, the Dark Arisen changes make the game somewhat more traversable and streamlined, turning a fun but frustrating game into something far more enjoyable. There’s nothing really new here, but it’s great to finally have the game on PC.

Overall, this Saturn Tribute version of Assault Suit Leynos 2 is a mecha gaming classic through and through. Not only is the game influential across other shmups and mecha games, but also a really well-wrought game in its own right. It’s definitely difficult and technical, but like most good old mecha games, that’s almost always a sign of excellence.

Donkey Kong Bananza does what Super Mario Odyssey did before it: offer one of the best platforming games available on a new system. The fact that the bulk of the game is about wanton joyous destruction is also another big bonus. So, if you want to tunnel to the center of the planet and destroy most of it along the way, Donkey Kong Bananza is your kind of platformer.

Avowed is an excellent game. Yes, it may be a bit of a bite-sized, stripped-down experience in the grand scope of epic RPGs, but in many ways, I found that refreshing, and I think others might as well in this age of too many big games and not enough time to play them. I would make time for Avowed, you won’t regret it.

While combat could still use some fine-tuning, Shadow of the Tomb Raider is a master class in turn-of-the-century-esque exploration awe, and I hope this serves as a springboard for Lara into the next generation of gaming technology.

I loved playing Sun and Moon and despite the fact that this is he umpteenth Pokémon game released, it’s still incredibly compelling and brilliantly paced. The story and characters are very nicely done too, though the Team Skull grunts are wonderfully cheesy in their attempt at being hip-hop infused gangsters.

I loved playing Sun and Moon and despite the fact that this is he umpteenth Pokémon game released, it’s still incredibly compelling and brilliantly paced. The story and characters are very nicely done too, though the Team Skull grunts are wonderfully cheesy in their attempt at being hip-hop infused gangsters.

Paranormasight: The Mermaid’s Curse has some small hiccups here and there. But much like its predecessor, it’s a gripping visual novel with waves of reveals that come crashing down. It’s not as frightening, but you’ll still be swept away by the currents of its raw and moving story.

Overall, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is an amazing and involved modern platformer, with a surprising amount of content. While Super Mario 3D World gets a lot of attention on the Switch, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is actually the better game and pushes the platforming genre forward in a surprisingly involved way.