While short, The Delicious Last Course certainly does not lack in quality and depth. It fine-tunes the best parts of Cuphead with its captivating art style and challenging boss battles while also providing deep and meaningful additions to the game with new weapons, items, and gameplay mechanics. The Delicious Last Course condenses everything that made the base game so triumphant into one package and adds a few finishing touches to make this a proper send-off for Cuphead and Mugman after half a decade in the spotlight. Its title rings true to its nature; it is a delicious last course.

Resident Evil Requiem's gripping story and intoxicating gameplay blend are wrapped up in a perfectly-polished experience with eye-popping graphics and a blood-pumping soundtrack. Resident Evil Requiem is a horror gaming masterpiece and one of the best games Capcom has ever made. It's the ultimate Resident Evil game and will be remembered as fondly as the franchise favorites in the years to come.

Even at launch, Dreams will provide dozens of hours of quality entertainment for players and creators alike.

Even if the game would've been limited to the first Pro Skater, the remake would still well be worth it. It's a smooth experience packed with rich levels, energetic gameplay, and a ton of style. It doesn't dramatically reinvent the Tony Hawk formula, but it doesn't need to, nor should it. It's the definitive way to experience the core of the Tony Hawk franchise, elegantly surpassing what came before it, and setting a new bar for future entries in the process. For other contenders to the skating game throne, that bar will be incredibly difficult to exceed.

Sometimes innovation requires a look back rather than ahead. Battlefield 1 is proof of that.

Dark Souls, Far Cry Primal (or any open world Ubisoft game), Uncharted – these are just a few of the games players will cite when finding points of comparison for Horizon: Zero Dawn. But the Guerrilla Games developers have made sure that its game still feels unique by comparison, thanks to a vibrant world bursting with stunning detail, challenging robotic enemies, and a story that explores an uncivilized world in an inventive way. Some weak AI, awkward dialogue sections, and a prototypical open world framework are the game’s bigger faults, but they don’t weigh the game down to much or ruin the experience. When all is said and done, Horizon: Zero Dawn could easily be Sony’s next great franchise, but even as a one-off it’s very impressive.

For those who appreciate RPGs that lean into simulation rather than spectacle, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a standout experience — one that is best approached with patience and an eagerness to embrace its historical authenticity and realism. It may not cater to every type of player, but for those willing to engage with its systems, it delivers one of the most satisfying and immersive role-playing experiences in recent memory. With its stunning visuals, refined gameplay mechanics, and a gripping continuation of Henry's journey, KCD2 cements itself as one of the most compelling RPGs of the year, regardless of what may come after it.

Overall, Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut feels like a fantastic port. The game was already an amazing open-world adventure, and the PC has made that even better. While the controls may be cumbersome at times, this is still probably the best way to play this game. Whether players are playing it for the first time or jumping in again, Jin Sakai's journey is definitely worth the price of admission.

In some instances, a remake can feel like a brand new game, but that isn’t entirely the case here. The Last of Us Part 1 is no doubt a better-looking game and the DualSense functionality adds some nice immersive touches to the gameplay, but it doesn’t feel fundamentally different. There’s an exceptional game on display but it was exceptional back in 2013 and 2014 for the remaster. As a result, interest in the game is going to be all over the place. Some will see it as a cash-grab, others will be happy it exists for the new fans that will come from the HBO series, and specific fans will appreciate yet another opportunity to journey with Joel and Ellie in an experience that is one of PlayStation’s best.

Ultimately, XCOM 2: War of the Chosen buries even the most tactically-sound gamer under a mountain of entertaining challenges and adds not only several hours of content to play through, but well-neigh infinite replayability as well – we can’t wait to restart the fight and see how a new batch of soldiers fares against the ADVENT government.

The insane amount, and variety, of content available in this game is going to make it an experience that players don’t want to walk away from for at least the next year. The graphics may hold it back from being the game that defines this console generation, but the unforgettable narrative and open-world experience are more than enough to make up for the slightly dated aesthetic.

While it may be a step down from its predecessor, Monster Hunter Wilds is still a great game with significant quality-of-life improvements, many of which shake up the formula for the better. But Capcom went a little too far in its effort to make the game more accessible to the masses, to the point where it risks alienating its most hardcore fans. Even so, what's here is a meaty experience that scratches that Monster Hunter itch, as long as you don't rely too much on the SOS flare support hunters.

Ultimately, one's enjoyment of Immortality is going to depend entirely on two things: if they like art house films and if they have the patience to sift through over 200 clips of mostly-boring footage to get the story's full picture. The story itself is interesting enough that players will find themselves compelled to keep returning to the game to look for more clues, even if they're otherwise bored, but gameplay-wise, it doesn't have much to offer beyond its one genius trick. Immortality is something that everyone should at least try through Xbox Game Pass, but they should go in understanding that the game is going to demand a lot from them and not always offer much in return.

Almost everything about What Remains of Edith Finch is head and shoulders above its competition, though some may be disappointed by its ending and some of the graphical issues. The game’s short length (it can be fully completed in just a few hours) and lack of replayability may also be a turn off for some, but anyone looking for innovative gameplay and some of the best storytelling in gaming should seriously consider picking up Giant Sparrow’s latest effort.

It has incredible art design and presentation, is so cleverly designed, and has a pace that makes it hard to put down once things get going. The surface-level view of the game is unassuming but digging into the worlds of Cocoon reveals an experience that is unforgettable.

Lorelei and the Laser Eyes can sometimes feel like the Dark Souls of puzzle games, but no one will regret challenging themselves to solve its many mysteries. Players who enjoy analyzing complex stories will have a blast taking apart the many layers to Lorelei and the Laser Eye's bizarre tale, while those looking for an addicting puzzle game will find it to be an incredibly satisfying adventure. Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is a must-play puzzle game and one of the genre's best.

The lack of checkpoints can prove to be brutal in some of the more challenging worlds, and the inclusion of co-operative play would have made building and playing through these levels feel a lot more like a team exercise than a solo affair.

After a whirlwind 40 hours with Dragon's Dogma 2, it is clear that Capcom has created a flawed masterpiece that might not be for everyone. However, for those that this game speaks to, they will love it to pieces. So, in a way, it is the perfect sequel to Dragon's Dogma. From its unique twist on the RPG party system to its laissez-faire gameplay mechanics that reward players who are willing to think outside the box and dig into every corner of the game, there is nothing quite like Dragon's Dogma 2, and there probably won't be for a long time.

The presentation, innovation, and unabashed love of the strange all coalesce into something that looks like what would happen if Hideo Kojima attempted to design a Final Fantasy, and as it turns out, it is something that needed to happen.

It Takes Two is co-op gaming genius and is going to go down as both a classic of the genre and a Game of the Year contender. There's not a single dull moment in the entire game, and we didn't run into any glitches or technical issues of any kind either. It Takes Two is polished to near-perfection, and an absolute must-play for co-op gaming fans.

The Italian word pentimento is defined as: an underlying image in a painting, one that only becomes visible when the top layer of paint turns transparent with age, showing evidence that it was revised by the artist. Pentiment smartly shares this definition through its replayability by placing a new story on top of the previous one, with the player painting a new history for Andreas and the town of Tasling each time. Some players may create chaos, others will try to keep the peace, but each will be able to tell the story of Pentiment in their own way. It is interactive choose-your-own-adventure story-telling at its best, and although it feels too short, hopefully, there will be more tales and tomes like this one from Obsidian in the future.

It’s visually striking, mechanically sound and diverse, and it takes advantage of the bells and whistles tied to the new platform. Some might be disappointed by the story, but overall the dimension-hopping adventure is exactly the type of fun-loving experience that Insomniac Games has been delivering since the very beginning. At a time when there aren’t a lot of games highlighting the power of next-gen, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart shows the next big leap for gaming.

Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles is a prime example of how to do a remaster right. With a deft hand, it enhances the 1998 original to make it prettier, more immersive, and less annoying, without changing its most essential aspects. How such aspects measure up against contemporary turn-based RPGs will almost certainly be a subject of heated discussion in the coming weeks and months, but fans of the original game should enjoy them. And first-time players will probably find a lot to love as well, provided they keep an open mind and take the good with the bad.

Firaxis continues its excellent work on the XCOM franchise with XCOM 2, a game that improves upon all the elements of its predecessor and delivers a phenomenal strategic experience from start to finish.

Overall, Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition shows that PC role-playing games can transfer over to the most recent console generation with relative ease.

Horizon Forbidden West is a step above its fellow open world games because it goes out of its way to ensure that everything is worth doing, not just the main story. It's more of the same from Zero Dawn in a lot of ways, but with significant improvements across the board to create a generally superior experience. And while Guerrilla said that Horizon Forbidden West isn't being held back by being a cross-gen game, it will be exciting to see what the studio can do when building a Horizon adventure from the ground-up for PS5. In the meantime, Horizon Forbidden West is another must-play PlayStation exclusive.

Dragon Quest 1 and 2 HD-2D Remake is a respectful return to two foundational RPGs that still have value today, even if they don't age so gracefully in every area. The visual overhaul is excellent, the story additions work far better than expected, and the world feels more alive than it ever has. However, the shallow, slow, and repetitive combat, frequent encounters, and grind-heavy pacing hold it back from being as inviting as it could be for new players. Longtime fans will appreciate how faithfully these classics have been recreated, but anyone looking for a modernized experience may find that Dragon Quest 2 carries most of the weight while Dragon Quest 1 struggles to justify itself beyond nostalgia.

Halo 3's PC port is by far the best yet, giving the game smoother controls but otherwise keeping the original experience intact. It's just as fun to play today as it was back when it launched in 2007, a testament to Bungie's design. Both returning and fans will find something to enjoy here, either for a nostalgia trip or for an experience unlike anything else currently on the market.