Ultimately, this is one of the most refined entries in the series as a whole, and everything old seems new again.

For fans of soulsvania combat, Mandragora is a must-play for its astounding build variety alone, but that's thankfully not its only good quality. Addicting combat, a thoughtful narrative, and premium visuals make for a memorable game that uplifts the genre and sets an example to follow. Mandragora achieved what it set out to do—deliver a fun and engaging metroidvania—while landing just shy of its full potential in a few areas.

Truly, Cuphead is a game which will give victorious gamers a sense of satisfaction that few modern games manage to accomplish. The nostalgic visual prowess supplied by the game’s hand-drawn animations are second to none, and its period-appropriate soundtrack will force its way into gamers’ heads. Precision gameplay is key here, and the mechanics behind it – aside of an improvable control scheme – deliver a delightfully challenging title that doesn’t hold your hand through the process.

Pokemon Legends: Arceus's gameplay is simple but incredibly rewarding, stripping away much of the tediousness that has plagued recent entries in the series to focus on what's fun. Those who grew up with Pokemon should like it especially, as while it makes dramatic changes to the core formula, it somehow feels truer to the spirit of Pokemon than the older releases.

Xenoblade Chronicles X is one of the prettier games on Nintendo’s Wii U console, and it’s a standout addition to the platform’s library. Setting aside the learning curve for newcomers and an astute lack of immediate aid from the game itself, the title offers fans a massive world that they’ll easily get lost in.

Defiant Development’s Hand of Fate game is not without flaws, but the sheer innovation dwarfs them easily.

The Witcher 3 is messy, highly emotional, and incredibly addictive. Barring any huge surprises this fall, The Witcher 3 should be a shoo-in for the game of the year – it’s not just one of 2015’s best games, but for many players, it’s the only one they’ll need.

By focusing on characters and story over cliche open world tropes, Far Cry 5 manages to be completely and utterly engrossing from start to finish. It’s one of the finest takes on the open world genre that we’ve seen, and while it may not deliver much in the way of revolutionary new ideas, it still stands as the best Far Cry game since Far Cry 3.

Forza Horizon 5 is flashy and vibrant. It packs in pretty much everything one could want out of a racing game, with a broad selection of cars, tracks, and challenges to complete. Its addition to Xbox Game Pass alone should be reason enough to try it, but it stands as one of the best Xbox exclusives out right now regardless. It might not do much to separate itself from the other entries mechanically, but Forza Horizon 5 is the best the series has felt yet.

Planet of Lana 2 won’t tickle the dopamine centers of your gamer brain, but there’s a very strong chance it will pull on your heartstrings. More than this, it will engage your imagination like few other games can, presenting its one-of-a-kind world with the utmost confidence and panache. And with best-in-class art direction and arresting musical composition to boot, Lana 2 is more than deserving of a spot on the narrative-platformer Mount Rushmore, right alongside the likes of Inside and Gris.

Marvel Rivals feels like the first serious contender to Overwatch's crown; it's a game I can see being a part of my multiplayer rotation indefinitely. And the thing is, Marvel Rivals at launch is just the tip of the iceberg. There are near-endless possibilities for new roster and map additions in the years ahead. Some of the leaked Marvel Rivals characters have me excited about the game's future, and I can't wait to see how it evolves.

For fans of the Zero Escape games, AI: The Somnium Files is an absolute must-buy, and its more accessible story, interesting puzzle gameplay, and slightly muted anime aesthetic hopefully means it can enjoy a more mainstream success and potentially kick-start a new series for Spike Chunsoft.

Despite the pacing issues in its final chapters, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is still bigger and better than Final Fantasy 7 Remake. If the third game can keep everything that's great about these remake projects so far and trim the fat a bit, we will have a spectacular trilogy on our hands.

Battletoads' local co-op is very much appreciated and works great, but the lack of online co-op is a sticking point that's likely to disappoint a lot of people, especially with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic keeping people stuck in their homes.

Absolum is one of those rare roguelikes that feels like it knows exactly what it wants to be, even if it's not ashamed to imitate games like Hades in many ways. Its world is intriguing with its characters and lore, its combat is punishing but rewards patience and persistence, and every run feels like a whole new experience. Even after dozens of hours, the mix of beat-em-up mechanics and roguelike structure still surprises. It's challenging, fulfilling, and full of personality, and the more time players spend with it, the more they will realize that Absolum's magic extends beyond the wizards themselves.

In truth, it's a game that feels endless despite its relatively short core content.

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

It packs so much RPG goodness into a tight package that fans are going to be engrossed from beginning to end. More importantly, the choices presented to them are so inviting and diverse that it will be easy to start up a second playthrough and feel like new experiences are on the horizon. Put simply, The Outer Worlds is the deep sci-fi RPG that gamers have been promised from so many franchises, and only now has been delivered.

Regardless of where users’ settings might land, Spider-Man Remastered is still one of Sony’s best games, of any generation. Insomniac Games crafted an experience that is thrilling even when Spider-Man is just swinging through the city, but the combat and story add fun layers that keep it engaging throughout. Not to mention, this PC version includes the Miles Morales DLC that adds new layers to the combat and has an equally compelling narrative. So while mileage may vary in terms of how much visual fidelity a system can offer the game, Spider-Man Remastered is still well worth playing and the PC version is the best looking version. Over time performance should get even better, but right now the game is still a must-play.

Overall, Jurassic World Evolution 2 delivers on its promise of surpassing its predecessor thanks to improved dinosaurs, deeper management simulation mechanics, and game modes catering to different players. While Chaos Theory lets players visit and rewrite iconic moments in the film franchise, Sandbox Mode is undoubtedly the heart and soul of Jurassic World Evolution 2 for the way it highlights all of the new features and improvements.

Mechanically, Trails Through Daybreak 2 is an incredibly satisfying role-playing experience that offers up some best-in-genre combat, impressive presentation, strong writing, and an exciting "whodunnit" mystery that will keep players guessing to the very end, including enough switching sides and shifting of allegiances to make one's head spin. If you weren't a fan of the Trails games before Trails Through Daybreak 2, it's a safe bet to assume you will be after completing it, and that alone makes it a game worth recommending.

The remaster is a great reminder of the potential that the series had and hopefully any future iterations of Ni no Kuni return to this winning formula and bring back the story, cinematics, and combat system that all come together to help make Wrath of the White Witch a modern classic.

Even though the difficulty isn't what die-hard fans might be looking for, there's no denying that Monster Hunter Rise is the most accessible title in the series to date. Its systems and mechanics will be confusing for brand-new players at first, but once they really get into it and learn what everything is about, players can look forward to a thrilling and exciting hunting experience with so much content to offer. And with free title updates coming soon from Capcom, there will be even more quests to partake in and monsters to hunt. This isn't the ultimate package that World and Iceborne was, but the compact nature of Monster Hunter Rise feels perfect on the Switch and will definitely serve as a blueprint for future entries.

This isn’t just the definitive version of Mario Kart 8, it’s the the measuring stick that all future franchise installments will be compared to.

Project Cars is most definitely not the game for someone who wants to chase down experience points and unlock new items on the way through a game. Players who just want full access to an incredibly difficult and realistic driving simulation will find all that they are looking for with this one, though.

Even in a post-Astro Bot world, Sonic X Shadow Generations serves as an epic reminder of how untouchable both Sonic and Sega can be when they're firing on all cylinders, and its treasure trove of content and top-notch presentation make it an easy recommendation, regardless of it not being a blemish-free experience.

Dragon Quest 11 still remains a great adventure for both newcomers and hardened JRPG fans, but this version is easily the best way to play this game. Only new fans may have some trouble getting accustomed to the game's atmosphere, but the game is incredibly rewarding for anyone who can. All of the enhancements make for a much improved gameplay experience, and the 2D homages to classic Dragon Quest are an awesome touch. This is easily the best way to play Dragon Quest 11.

The history of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is one that's inextricably tied to the rebirth of the gaming industry in North America, and the best games to utilize the license have always understood the core appeal of what makes the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles such an iconic IP. The Turtles' combat prowess and place as martial arts experts always made them seem better suited to beat 'em ups than any other kind of game, but Tactical Takedown proves that the team is a perfect fit for the turn-based tactics genre thanks to a creative dash of board game-style movement and combat that blends the "tactics" in Tactical Takedown with the gameplay of classics like Turtles in Time or the more recent Shredder's Revenge. As a result, it feels like it's destined to be talked about in the same breath as one of the best games to feature the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.