Graphical issues aside, this is a phenomenal and ambitious game with a world that will challenge and entertain players for hours.

The Expanse - Episode 2 continues to deliver a compelling origin story for Camina Drummer, and a strong return for Telltale Games. Boasting strong gameplay, stunning visuals, and excellent character building, Telltale and Deck Nine have created a game in which players’ actions truly matter. Hunting Grounds sees these decisions begin to shape the series' overall narrative. As it stands, The Expanse: At Telltale Series appears poised to deliver one of Telltale’s most revolutionary titles.

Octopath Traveler got a mobile spinoff and a sequel for a reason. It was a successful bridge between SNES-era turn-based RPGs and modern gaming expectations, and it offered engaging gameplay that could suck away hours of free time. Octopath Traveler 2 is more of the same with side quests, interesting characters, and a large world to explore. It essentially gives fans of the first game an additional 60 hours of what they already enjoyed, and newcomers can jump right into the sequel without worrying about what they might have missed.

For fans of role-playing games, especially JRPGS, this game will come as a breath of classic RPG air. Turn-based battles with a twist, an intricate and intersectional job system, and a ragtag group of heroes are all key components that make the experience memorable.

Although the gameplay itself may prove tiresome over long periods, the game’s story elements, sense of isolation, and soundtrack make Out There a more-than-worthwhile purchase.

Unlike Legion, Battle for Azeroth doesn’t feel like a giant step forward from the game’s previous expansion.

Whereas WWE 2K22 was a rebuilding year for the franchise, WWE 2K23 is all about building on that foundation, offering players more bang for their buck and taking everything a step forward. There is still plenty of room for improvement for sure, but WWE 2K23 is easily one of the best WWE games of the past decade.

First Berserker: Khazan isn't exactly overflowing with originality, but it offers an exciting, rewarding Soulslike experience with weighty combat and challenging bosses. Fans of the genre shouldn't hesitate to pick it up, but those turned off by the high difficulty in Soulslikes hoping that Easy mode would be their way in may want to try the demo first.

While it's great to be able to hop straight into the endgame with a new Vault Hunter, Borderlands 4's campaign is so good that it almost feels like you're missing out on doing so. Still, for anyone who plays through a Borderlands game to get to the endgame loop and focus on a particular build, Borderlands 4 has you covered in ways that will make revisiting a past game harder. Borderlands 4 is ultimately "more Borderlands", but it understands that assignment so well that it ends up being the best the series has felt in over a decade.

Despite these flaws, Agents of Mayhem truly does offer a unique and fresh spin on the Saints Row world. By distancing itself from the main franchise’s core characters and conflicts, the game is able to embrace its own aesthetic and create a new world that is just as weird and addicting as the original.

Madden NFL 17 doesn’t move the series forward in any significant ways, but it provides one of the most polished NFL football video game experiences to date.

Despite these shortcomings, Pokemon Sword and Shield excel at introducing new elements like better Pokemon Storage while retaining the series' core. Everything a Pokemon player can need or want is there. Whether it's playing competitively, playing the story, playing with friends, spending time with Pokemon friends, hunting shinies, or playing the raid battles, Sword or Shield offers a core Pokemon experience, not much more and certainly nothing less.

Despite these shortcomings, Pokemon Sword and Shield excel at introducing new elements like better Pokemon Storage while retaining the series' core. Everything a Pokemon player can need or want is there. Whether it's playing competitively, playing the story, playing with friends, spending time with Pokemon friends, hunting shinies, or playing the raid battles, Sword or Shield offers a core Pokemon experience, not much more and certainly nothing less.

Crystal Dynamics has put together one of the most riveting action/adventure titles of this generation. Even then, Rise of the Tomb Raider is a game that people will play, love, and be done with, and that’s okay. It’s said to take dedicated completionists over 30 hours of playing to gather all of the hidden treasures, survival caches, golden coins, and weapon parts, which makes for a solid bang for consumers’ hard-earned bucks. Plus, who doesn’t want to fight a bear?

Despite these shortcomings, Pokemon Sword and Shield excel at introducing new elements like better Pokemon Storage while retaining the series' core. Everything a Pokemon player can need or want is there. Whether it's playing competitively, playing the story, playing with friends, spending time with Pokemon friends, hunting shinies, or playing the raid battles, Sword or Shield offers a core Pokemon experience, not much more and certainly nothing less.

Aside from the changes to the feel and efficiency with the cursor controls and some stuttering cutscenes, Tormented Souls remains one of the few successful attempts at recreating that late 90s survival horror vibe. Cinematic camera movements and a beautiful but eerie atmosphere (not to mention nightmarish monsters) lends some scariness to the game, while terrible voice acting and a strangely bare plot leaves players with more questions than answers by the time the game is over. It would seem the best and most authentic way to play Tormented Souls would be on Playstation 4, Xbox One, or PC. The very slight graphical improvements on a smaller mobile screen don’t take away the benefits of playing on other consoles.

Nioh 2 is a worthy successor to its original, hitting nearly every beat there is to make it the best it can be. Where it drops the ball doesn't prevent Team Ninja from taking the bases it needs or hitting its homerun with the game. It's an easy recommendation for any lover of action RPGs.

Gravity Rush 2‘s post-launch support and top notch visual presentation combined with its engaging combat and engrossing story ensure fans of the original or Gravity Rush Remastered will find plenty to love about the sequel. It’s held back by poorly designed stealth missions that serve little purpose other than keeping players away from the better parts of the game and a wonky camera that can be downright disorienting at times, but otherwise Gravity Rush 2 is bigger and better than the first game.

Every moment in Dave the Diver feels unique the first time through. The constant changing of side-missions, the cutscenes when upgrading weapons or fish dishes, and the eccentric cast of characters, all blend together so well into a game that, when viewed just from the surface, might seem shallow. But players willing to dive into the meat of the game will find even more enjoyment than they bargained for, especially with its official 1.0 release. It’s a single-player adventure with heart, good music (‘Hot Pepper Tuna’ will likely end up on a lot of people's personal playlists), and a cast of characters that feel right at home around The Blue Hole. Its eccentricities make it memorable, and Dave might be the kindest and most fun adventuring protagonist players encounter in the world of video games this year.

Single-player shortcomings aside, Fatal Fury: The City of the Wolves is a fantastic experience. It may lack the full-motion cutscenes, cosmetics, and flashy game modes of its contemporaries, but it more than makes up for this with its strong fundamentals. SNK has done a great job bringing this long-dormant franchise into the modern age, and one can only hope that subsequent sequels continue to hone City of the Wolves' unambiguous strengths.

Taking a fairy tale about a witch and turning it into a video game could have easily been a cheesy turn, with a cliché spooky forest that is dark, without a lot of detail, full of owls, and a cackling hag witch. However, The Parasight took this story and added its own elements that give some context to a classic tale and give it a rebirth. The ending was a little bit predictable, but the adventure of young Yaga added something new for fans and those new to the Baba Yaga lore. Dark, entertaining, original, and bewitching - Blacktail is a solid choice that plays on the same level as some of the best RPG games.

Its detective elements may be lacking and its third act is slow, but it more than makes up for it, offering spectacle-heavy set pieces, an engrossing mystery, and a bounty of fantastic side missions. Whether a diehard fan of the Yakuza franchise or a newcomer looking to see what all the fuss is about, Lost Judgment is a thrilling adventure that shouldn't be missed.

This is a fun game to pull out if someone wants to have a cooperative challenge with some friends or connect with strangers online, although as with most co-ops, playing with friends is often more rewarding.

Desperados 3 is a stellar game with tight mechanics and a healthy dose of variety. A strong cast of characters and a setting that feels foreign to stealth games make it a unique experience, even with some frustrating moments sprinkled within. Its challenging moments may be a barrier for some, but it ultimately succeeds as one of this generation's best stealth games.

Adventures of Mana is a short, enjoyable, and addictive little trip back to the humble beginnings of handheld gaming and the wildly popular Mana series, and the improved graphics and dedication to reproducing the original game’s feel are evidence of this.

Sackboy: A Big Adventure is an easy recommendation to fans of the platforming genre or anyone looking for a co-op game to play on their new PS5 console. While it would be nice to see a proper LittleBigPlanet 4 come to Sony's next-generation system, hopefully, fans can look forward to future Sackboy platforming adventures as well.

The MediEvil PS4 remake stays true to the original game while being a more enjoyable experience overall. There were still some ways that the developers could have made the MediEvil PS4 remake even better, but what's here is still a great game and will leave fans hungry for more.

Soul Hackers 2 is a great new entry to the SMT franchise, offering enough differences from its comrades that it doesn't feel like the exact same game. With its wonderful cast of characters, Soul Hackers 2 delivers a story that shows plenty of heart as well as heartbreak, with a theme that resonates with today’s world. Despite the bland dungeons, the combat is more than satisfying enough to make up for it, and the music is just a bonus to an already stylish game. If there’s an itch to play an SMT game, Soul Hackers 2 is sure to scratch it.