The script kept me entertained and feeling like my decisions mattered throughout my 10-hour playthrough. Thanks to some good twists, a few fake-outs, and limitless jump scares, Until Dawn would make a solid horror film. As a piece of interactive fiction, however, it's a remarkable experience that horror fans shouldn't miss.

God of War III is still a fantastic experience, and a significant beat in gaming history, but this remaster doesn’t build on its legacy.

There's a certain intensity of action and sense of urgency that only a 2D platformer can deliver. This game is a great way to rediscover that feeling for yourself. [June 2003, p.118]

Sometimes while playing Most Wanted I was confused what to do next due to the sheer volume of opportunities. I was even frustrated at times when seemingly out of nowhere, a civilian car clogged up the last turn of a particularly high-tension race, causing me to eat metal instead of grabbing victory. But part of the beauty of this game is that there is no such thing as an unfair ending. Whether you're dominating your opponents or barrel rolling your way through a race, you're getting what you wanted – a game, that win or lose, goes all out getting there.

Where the entry really shines, though, is multiplayer. Two-person matches, eight-player tournaments, and two-player miniature golf rounds are all seconds away. Each plays fabulously and really uses the PSP hardware well. [July 2005, p.127]

Succeeds in creating a completely new formula for the sweet science. [Apr 2004, p.88]

I adored almost every second of Psychonauts 2. It achieves something I don’t often see in games – a continual sense of awe as each of its worlds unfold. It took 16 years to reach release, but Double Fine has delivered an incredible sequel. I hope we get a third installment that doesn’t take nearly as long to create.

Far Cry 6 is a gripping and exciting thrill ride from the opening moments, delivering the best entry the franchise has had in years.

The Witch Queen is an especially robust expansion, with a particular focus on customizing the play experience and rewarding longtime players’ investment in story and systems. If it’s not the most welcoming moment for players to jump in, that may be a price the developers at Bungie are willing to pay at this point. The long-running story arc that opened in 2014 is gradually steering toward a climax, and it’s possible the developers are increasingly interested in building a ride for those who have been in the vehicle for a while now.

This is still the best playing, most rewarding and realistic basketball game that money can buy. [Nov 2004, p.143]

A short but engrossing play that will remain with you long after you finish. [Aug 2010, p.110]

Kingdom Hearts II and Birth By Sleep offer an incredible amount of quality gameplay. If you’re feeling nostalgic or running through for the first time, there’s a ton of meat to sink your teeth into that can easily last well into the new year.

Crossing Souls is a inventive thrill ride that embraces clever, varied gameplay and heartfelt storytelling to coalesce into a gem of a game. As someone rarely wooed by ‘80s nostalgia grabs, I found an enchanting world worth exploring in this great adventure.

Regardless of the visual shortcomings, The Forgotten City stands tall as a unique game that pulls you in with its world and words. I got a huge kick using time travel as a detective tool and found many of the characters to be delightful to chat with (even if they hold many dark secrets). If you are in the market for a different type of game that pushes you to stitch together a story in different ways than you would expect, don’t sleep on this inventive experience. It’s one that you won’t soon forget.

Like the name implies, this is the ultimate entry in the DOA series, and a must-have for fighting game fans ready to test their skills online. [Dec 2004, p.182]

This is still the best playing, most rewarding and realistic basketball game that money can buy. [Nov 2004, p.143]

Like no other game I've played, F.E.A.R. grabbed me by the throat, punched me in the gut, and made me pay attention and become my onscreen character. [Nov 2005, p.170]

Thunder absolutely screams on the Xbox with very short loading times and beautifully rendered environments. [Dec 2001, p.108]

Round 3 certainly doesn't shirk in the gameplay department one bit, as it has everything Round 2 offered and more. [Mar 2006, p.98]

In addition to capturing the joy of battle, Dragon Age also provides an engrossing backdrop for the action. Even more than Mass Effect, the nation of Ferelden feels like a fully realized setting with its own history, conflicts, and power groups. This is one of the main reasons the game is so addicting; completing quests isn’t just about grinding experience and amassing loot – it actually feels like you have an impact on the world.

It’s just more SMT V to dive into, which for an already jam-packed RPG full of narrative agency and monster-collecting action, is more food on the table for the feast. And it was a hell of a feast to begin with.

Offering improvements that add a brand new dimension to the combo-driven demon meat carving, this title takes the concept of a hardcore action experience and contorts it into a humiliating position before administering a handgun enema... DMC3 is, without a doubt, the most difficult game I have played this generation. [March 2005, p.121]

With this remake, Capcom has greatly improved one of my least-loved entries in the series. Resident Evil 3’s greater focus on action affords you fewer opportunities to stop and think, but Jill's adventure is an incredible thrill ride. From the first moment that Nemesis burst through the wall and reached out with one of his tendrils, I felt my heart begin to race. I don’t think it slowed down again until the credits rolled.

Not only does this Xbox 360 edition of Virtua Fighter 5 have the online multiplayer support that was sadly missing from the PlayStation 3 iteration released earlier this year, it also features the latest arcade code, so it is the most balanced home edition you can play.

The fundamentals may be recognizable, but Tetris Effect feels like something new rather than another reskin of the same old game. The presentation is such a natural fit for the gameplay, and it adds an unexpected layer of emotion.

The incredible craftsmanship that went into this title makes it the pinnacle in the series and another fantastic Xbox Live application. [Mar 2006, p.108]

The graphics may be dated, but it's still an amazing game. [Dec 2001, p.111]

Pikmin 3 was one of my favorite Wii U games, which isn’t meant to be faint praise it sounds like. Thanks to Pikmin 3 Deluxe, players who didn’t get around to checking it out in its original form have a chance to do so on the Switch. And better yet, they’re getting a version that lives up to its potential as a game to bring people together – even if it’s just to move tangerines and grapes around.