From raising a family, becoming a land baron, and even partnering up with friends locally or online, this is the most fully realized version of Albion yet. It's a must-play for fans of adventure or anyone who thinks they can run things better than those bums in Washington. Good luck.

Valorant doesn’t reinvent aspects of core tactical shooters, but it differentiates itself in meaningful ways by giving players new ways to glean information, protect areas, and obscure enemy perception. While Valorant’s characters may be mundane and its modes limited, I had plenty of fun with its precision shooting, careful planning, and soft footsteps.

Danganronpa proves why having an interactive experience can make stories more thrilling, even in the context of such a bleak scenario.

Pending a retail disaster this year, I suspect another Skylanders sequel is already in development and slated for release next holiday. Giants makes a good case for the fun and collectibility of this series, but also raises the warning flag for franchise fatigue.

It's impressive how much content Treyarch managed to cram onto this Wii disc, but it's by no means the way to experience Black Ops. The campaign is well-paced, and the multiplayer is packed with features that can keep you coming back if you can get over the less-precise controls. If you have a choice, however, this version is not the one to play.

A veritable host of small technical problems keep Dragonshard from reaching the potential created by its innovative design. [Nov 2005, p.174]

Ruined King is a conventional RPG set in the League of Legends universe with an exciting lane system that smartly reconstructs the standard turn-based loop. Still, a forgettable story about good vs. evil and reiterative backdrops are apparent drawbacks. The action and imaginative characters do their best to keep the game’s 20-30-hour time sink enjoyable. Still, players that aren’t already fans of Riot Games’ flagship franchise are better off skipping this entry.

Even with all the new abilities and mission types, too much of Gravity Rush 2 is dedicated to tasks that don't make the best use of your ability to control gravity. Falling around the various locales is a lot of fun, but that doesn’t assuage the nagging feeling that with better missions and less frustrating side content, this series could go from a fleeting joy to something truly great.

Cracking each puzzle is rewarding, but the true excitement comes with trying to complete all the bucket-list items in one fly's lifespan.

As a reinvented version of a 16-bit game, this looks quite nice on the PSP's sharp display, but it plays like nobody's greased the machinery since its original 1993 release. [Oct 2007, p.127]

NHL 19 still has its share of legacy issues that need attention, but the vastly improved skating and physics make this the best playing hockey game of the generation. The scouting system gives franchise mode a much-needed makeover, and while World of Chel feels like a half-built theme park right now, I’m excited about its future prospects. If you haven’t played an NHL game in a while, this is the year to jump back over the boards.

Pokémon Sword & Shield are strong first attempts for the series’ full transition to consoles. While some frustrations hold it back from true legendary status, this new generation proves the Pokémon franchise is still great more than two decades after its debut.

Little more than "Battlefield 2" with mechs and gunships. In nearly every way, a round of 2142 plays out exactly like a round of its predecessor. Not that that’s a particularly bad thing, but for all intents and purposes this is a $50 mod.

This is everything I've wanted the franchise to become. [Dec 2005, p.161]

Despite these problems, there is something undeniably magnetic about the game.

Some people will surely love this game, but I feel that it'll be a much better time for adventure and RPG types than action fans. [Jan 2005, p.139]

More straight-up innovation is needed next time, but until then, we've got a good solid game on our hands. [Mar 2004, p.94]

Has a lot to unlock; it's visually appealing; and the music, voiceovers, and FMV all add to the atmosphere. I can dig it. [Oct 2002, p.91]

This is one of those games that is successful in the delivering of instant action, but doesn't offer up much in terms of depth. If you thrive off the online deathmatch scene, you'll fall head over heels in love with Battlefront. [Oct 2004, p.121]

Ghost Games has crafted an exceptional experience that captures the classic battle of racers and police in a new light for next-generation machines. The shared world concept is the driving force, making it easy for players to switch factions, team up, and continue making progress in their campaigns. I can’t stress enough just how great of a multiplayer experience this is for friends.

Unless you're going to dive into multiplayer, though, Retribution is a mediocre expansion pack even though the base gameplay is still quite good.

Tribute has become skilled at creating visually nostalgic beat ‘em ups, and its return to the Scott Pilgrim franchise is no exception. It is, however, light on surprises or mechanical innovation.

While the game could use some enemy variety, overall the good mix of encounters and potential outcomes shine and keep things interesting the whole way through.

With improvements in nearly every area, NHL 16 is a positive stride in the right direction for the franchise, but like a defensive-oriented team adopting trap tactics, the series plays it safe and lacks any game-breaking quality.

Even after playing for dozens of hours, you'll still find new things in Dead Rising 2. I won't spoil anything, but there's a lot of variety to be found in the game beyond obvious things like the number of objects that can be used as bludgeons. This game is designed for multiple playthroughs, and I'm looking forward to each and every one of them.

Despite some poor controls for minigames, The Red Strings Club conceptually flourishes, with fascinating subject matter, well-written characters, and unique approaches to gameplay. I enjoyed feeling like a puppeteer as I made others do my bidding by exploiting their emotions or deceiving them through phone calls. However, these actions begged a bigger question: Was I just as bad as the mega corporation? Was I playing god? The Red Strings Club had me pondering these moral questions for days.

Virtua Tennis 3 is a perfectly serviceable tennis game (pun intended) that fails to provide a big enough splash to make it anything else than just another tennis title. Next time I hope it won’t take Sega seven years to come out with the same game.

This year's PES title won't change anyone's mind about the series. It hasn't gotten any less complex, but it also hasn't lost any of its brilliance. In that sense, its success is all its own.