It’s simply incredible how much Rockstar has accounted for. But even beyond the jaw-dropping visuals, the diverse score, and the gameplay, the story is something special and memorable. Red Dead Redemption 2 is a must-play for its entertainment value, its boundary-pushing, and its place as a landmark moment in video games.

In almost every way, the game acts as a love letter to fans of the 3D iterations of the Super Mario franchise. From the spectacular Kingdoms and all of their hidden secrets to the minute nods to past ventures and friends, the entirety of this adventure is a joyride from beginning to end – with countless hours that can be invested into the title long after the narrative has been completed. The formulaic changes have helped modernized a genre that has long been dormant, which is an immense feat in and of itself.

It has heart, it has style, and it has the multi-year effort of a studio that obviously loves its source material. The mind-blowing size of the game itself and everything contained within is a testament to Larian Studios' dedication to its craft and commitment to bringing something incredible to the gaming public.

However, when judged on its own merits, Elden Ring is a phenomenal game that will disappoint very few. It has most of the components that fans of the genre seek: a wondrous aesthetic, a feeling of mystery that invites exploration, skillfully designed and intimidating adversaries, and rich gameplay with a lot of replayability thanks to the various classes and builds. In the end, Elden Ring is more than just an open-world Dark Souls. It is strong in its own right, with tweaks to the classic Souls blueprint that create a refreshing new experience that still feels familiar.

From its captivating music and memorable story to its gorgeous style, every aspect of the game seems to mesh together and work incredibly well. Each piece builds up and compliments the next, until the game is justified in standing atop the RPG genre as royalty.

It really feels like the developers thought of everything, and thanks to their efforts, Astro Bot is pure joy in video game form. I went into it with high expectations thanks to Astro Bot Rescue Mission and Astro's Playroom, and it not only met my expectations, but completely exceeded them. It's the best 3D platformer since Super Mario Odyssey hit the scene in 2017 and will be remembered as an all-time classic of the genre. Everyone with a PS5 should get their hands on this game ASAP, and hopefully, Team Asobi gets to continue making masterpieces.

The best comparison to be made is that Sony Santa Monica took a blockbuster, popcorn action flick and made it an Oscar contender, without sacrificing any of the series’ central DNA. God of War is one of this generation’s crowning achievements and is up there with some of Sony’s best.

From its captivating music and memorable story to its gorgeous style, every aspect of the game seems to mesh together and work incredibly well. Each piece builds up and compliments the next, until the game is justified in standing atop the RPG genre as royalty. With its release onto PC, Switch, and Xbox X|S, Persona 5 Royal will finally conquer the last locations it had been absent from, and a whole new set of gamers will get the chance to undoubtedly fall in love with this masterpiece.

Few would argue that the original version of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was a bad-looking game that was rough to play. In many ways, it's still among the best games in both departments. However, by simply including ray tracing, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition is now a step above what it already was, and beyond that, the smaller improvements that CD Projekt Red has created in-house and in collaboration with the community all amount to this update being a significantly enhanced version of an already great game. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition is worth revisiting for series veterans who eagerly await the next entry in the franchise or new players who want to see the game in its best light.

God of War Ragnarok is a once-in-a-generation game. It doesn't just live up to its high expectations, but it subverts them and expands beyond them all the same. There is nothing quite like it on PS4 or on the PS5 yet, and it would be hard for anything to live up to the same heights. God of War Ragnarok may not make full use of the PS5's features, as there is nothing necessarily groundbreaking that couldn't be experienced on a PS4, but it's absolute proof that vision, artistry, and creative direction far outweigh hardware.

In the end, it really comes down to the experience of playing The Last of Us Part 2 – of jumping into these characters’ shoes and confronting a world that feels both foreign and oddly familiar. In that regard, the game is in a league all its own and there are simply too many adjectives to describe the range of emotions that the game will make players feel, and many of those emotions are not positive ones.

There is no question that God of War is an exceptional game. But the magic on display with the PC port pushes an already tremendous game to new heights and offers some key features that will help it run well on a variety of modern machines. At this point, if gamers have the means to play God of War they should, and even if it’s a replay of the PC version is still well worth checking out.

As someone who has played thousands of video games, there are times when it feels like I've seen it all. But Split Fiction literally made me gasp because I was blown away by what I was seeing. The game surprises, delights, shocks, and endlessly entertains. Split Fiction is one of the best co-op games ever made and something that every gamer should experience. Josef Fares and his team at Hazelight are batting 100, with Split Fiction easily on the short-list for Game of the Year nominees come award season.

The PC version does include some new content including Bounty Hunting Missions, Gang Hideouts, and addition weapons. The new world content fits seamlessly into the existing world and act as a nice bonus for players who have already put in dozens of hours on consoles and want to experience some brand new quests.

The game is a triumph in more ways than one, and while it’s not without flaws, it’s safe to say that Hideo Kojima and company have successfully adapted the core of Metal Gear Solid for an open world.

Hades is everything a dungeon-crawler fan could want out of a game. Its gameplay loop is rewarding and interesting, it's simple enough that there's no skill barrier, it's complex enough that the repetition is a benefit and not a detriment, and all the small details boost the bigger ones. Hades is ultimately the result of when every aspect of a game comes together to form one fun and cohesive experience, and it's a testament to what Supergiant Games can do.

Even without its extra game modes, the Resident Evil 4 remake is still phenomenal. It offers nonstop visceral combat and clever changes that help it feel both new and familiar at the same time. The fact that the Resident Evil 4 remake is not as content-complete as previous iterations of the game hurt it, but what's there is still so good that most will be able to forgive it.

From the tremendous environments to the incredible character work to the globetrotting story, the design of the game is second to none, setting a new bar for interactive experiences. It’s true that Naughty Dog puts a lot more stock into story and character, but even then Uncharted 4 is pure, unadulterated fun.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate offers near-endless replayability.

Inside builds on every strength of Playdead’s Limbo, while also delivering a compelling yet haunting world filled with smart puzzles and inventive mechanics.

The game is still arguably the best racing game available on modern consoles, and even non-racing game fans will still be able to appreciate the top of the line graphics and impressive open world.

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.

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.

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.

World Tour is the accessible and content-rich single-player attraction that the genre has been waiting for and has fully gamified the process of learning a fighting game. Battle Hub is one of the most enticing fighting game lobbies ever, introducing variety in the name of fun. Fighting Ground fills any gaps left by the other modes, while also emphasizing traditional gameplay and SF6's new mechanics like the Drive System. These modes easily hook their intended audience, and it seems Street Fighter 6 has reclaimed its spot at the top of the fighting game world.

The Demon's Souls remake on PlayStation 5 is almost the exact same experience, gameplay-wise, as the 2009 PlayStation 3 original. And considering how great the original Demon's Souls was, the Demon's Souls remake on PS5 is an easy recommendation. Imagine one of the best and most influential games ever made, but with significantly improved graphics, and that sums up the Demon's Souls remake perfectly. It's the PlayStation 5's first must-have exclusive game, and it should leave fans very excited to see what developer Bluepoint Games decides to work on next.

The greatest RPGs are experiences that stick with the player long after the credits roll and warrant repeat playthroughs in the future, and even at 80-100 hours, Metaphor is a game I can easily see myself returning to time and again as one of my new favorite role-playing games.

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.