That everything feels organic and genuine in futuristic SF is an incredible feat, especially considering the entire game is just text and deliberately low-tech visuals.

Destiny 2 has renewed my faith in Bungie, the series as a whole, and is easily what the first Destiny should've been as it fulfills on everything that it originally seemed it would be and more.

While the gameplay in FIFA 20 isn’t a massive upgrade over FIFA 19, it is a superior title and one of the best football games you’ll play. The fresh lick of paint to Career Mode and Ultimate Team have made already excellent modes even better and the sheer volume of licensed teams, stadiums, and more makes for an impressively authentic experience, too. Volta is also a fantastic addition and the jewel in FIFA 20’s crown because of its an exciting, bold approach that elevates the experience wonderfully.

Its visuals are dynamite, the rebuilt cutscenes stoke excitement in any Crash fan, the music is higher-quality than ever, and the little alterations Vicarious Visions made make a huge difference.

A shining example of how to revitalize an old-school franchise. Its alternate history of World War II with the Nazis coming out on top is both far-fetched and over-the-top, but it keeps it grounded by being an extremely fun shooter, having a compelling story with well-developed characters, and a main protagonist who you’ll truly care about to the end.

A surprisingly remarkable Xbox exclusive that you won't able to put down and delivers the veritable “fun factor” that modern games often miss. It's truly a game that's greater than the sum of its parts, and yet every part is crafted with care and a sense of excitement, from the three fully-fledged campaigns modes and the accessible Sandbox system, to the GLaDOS-like voiceovers and the game's humorous, futuristic theme.

While I’m disappointed by the relatively simple execution of this remaster, the content offered here is still outstanding. From overall presentation to the polished gameplay, this is still single-player gaming at its finest, now made shinier. It’s an easy flex for PS5, but that doesn’t make it any less of a must-play for those who missed out on the last-gen launch or hardcore fans who want to scrutinize every pore on Nate and friends’ higher-resolution faces.

Planet Coaster isn’t just a wonderful game, it’s an important one. It’s effectively resurrected a dead genre, providing an act to follow that is as inspiring as it is fun to play. At a reasonable price point, it’s a great pick-up for anyone who enjoys the process of creation and management.

Nifty perks aside, Skulls of the Shogun is one of the best strategy games I have ever played thanks to its elegant accessibility and addicting depth, and you'd be foolish to pass it by.

It’s tough enough to make a game that targets one genre, let alone two, but rather than a lamb to the slaughter, Cult of the Lamb commands ownership of both with a hellish ambition that sees it become one of the best games of the year.

All told, Jotun is a wonderful experience with just a few sour notes. My only regret about it is that it feels short.

The HD remaster in particular does wonders for the series and makes Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection an easy recommendation for PS4 owners.

With the Spider-Man Remastered PC version, gamers are getting the smoothest edition of the web-slinger complete with a comprehensive suite of graphical settings. This is exactly what we need from PlayStation games making their way to PC!

But hey, for what they were building, Tipping Stars does a lot of things right.

As a Nintendo title, it's everything you could want from the publisher, despite the fact that the controls leave something to be desired and the multiplayer will not satisfy all comers.

Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix had an undeniably heavy burden in modernizing a character born from an immature, male-oriented fantasy, but no matter your gender, if you're a gamer, you should play Tomb Raider. It combines high-levels of interactivity, excellent pacing, and a true bond between the player and the character on screen.

If you love The Clone Wars TV show, this is probably the most faithful and loving game rendition, and a great start for releases of new Star Wars titles.

For 800 MSP ($10.00), The Brigmore Bitches Witches is an adequate addition to the Dishonored universe. I think showing the parallel storyline of Daud has been a great addition. If you have been on the fence about picking up the DLC for this series, I can assure you that the collective price of 1600 MSP ($20.00) is well worth the content you get from Knife of Dunwall and The Brigmore Witches.

Still, as a new version of a game many never played, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D has plenty of improvements that overall make it a more playable experience.

Though gang warfare slightly overtakes the more pertinent theme of personal security and government surveillance, Watch Dogs is a superlative technical achievement. Its interpretation of Chicago is painstakingly detailed and sets a new bar for open worlds, with only a spare few hiccups in frame-rate.

Though the cracks with stealth and freerunning are starting to show with time, Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag does the one thing it means to do surprisingly well: pirates. Sailing the high seas, finding hidden treasure chests among gorgeous tropical archipelagos, letting the waves of turquoise water crash into the Jackdaw, plundering enemy ships without remorse, and hearing your crew sing authentic sea shanties has never felt better.

Bottom line, this DLC is well worth your time and money to check this out, especially if you're going though Skyrim withdrawal.

Not only a fantastic JRPG in its own right, Ni No Kuni: The Wrath of the White Witch is perfect for anyone who has ever wished to live inside a Studio Ghibli film.

Difficulty might be off the scale at times, with the occasional enemy that will take going back to earlier floors to even think about taking on, and the shop gets pricey, but I can’t honestly find much fault in this game beyond that.

The Course World issues are only minor blemishes on an otherwise fantastic game. Super Mario Maker captures the childlike glee of seeing a game in action and wondering what it would be like to create one.

There are many amazing things that Band Fuse: Rock Legends does to revolutionize the way we play guitar, and it’s inspiring.

Despite a few quibbles that most new players won’t even notice, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy is an impressive remastering of three of the greatest adventure games ever made.

Despite a niggling complaint or two about the overall structure, there is very little to dislike about Furi.

Xenoblade Chronicles X is epic and a really great game, but one that requires the player to approach it in a specific way.

The PS4 version has seen some slight increases to audio fidelity, resulting in an incredible auditory experience whether you're out exploring the wilderness or speaking to an NPC. For some unknown reason the Xbox One and PC versions are not only unequal in this regard, but their files have been compressed to a point where the quality suffers.

I don’t know that diehard Borderlands fans will appreciate this series’ approach, but it’s worth a shot if you’re into the story more than the shooting.

If you're inclined to play a mature game with mature decision-making, I do highly recommend Always Sometimes Monsters. The game smartly tests how effectively you choices play out in the final act, something I don't wish to spoil but Vagabond Dogs deserves praise for.

Astral Chain is a unique and beautiful game that excels at what it’s trying to do. It’s one of the best games of the year so far, and it makes me excited to see what the studio will come up with next.

The Talos Principle: Deluxe Edition doesn't offer any new content to entice people who played the PC version, but I highly recommend it to everyone who hasn't.

The Nioh Collection confidently slashes through these minor oversights because it is still a definitive duo of difficult classics that play, look, and feel better than ever before. Even though its sequel is easily the superior, more varied title, both are still genre-defining action RPGs that provide so many engaging encounters that crush players to a pulp as a means to make them work for their euphoric victories. Few games can master this balance and maintain it after dozens or hundreds of hours and this collection has two such titles, doubling the amount of pain while also simultaneously doubling the amount of satisfaction.

Sayonara Wild Hearts is like Pop Rocks: The Game. It’s a delicious and surprising visual and audio journey that constantly changes rhythms and mechanics before disappearing rather quickly in a glamorous, flavor-filled explosion.

As for the big ending, I was quite moved, but it should be noted that where previous episodes would have the player make several important choices, Polarized only has one. It’s a doozy for sure, but it’s a little jarring that a series that highlighted all these precious tiny moments ends up coming down to a singular yes or no choice.

The reason World of Warcraft has proven to stand the test of time has everything to do with its ability to cater to a wide array of different types of gamers, and Warlords of Draenor only pushes the envelope even further.

It may not be a perfect experience, but it’s a real blast for anyone who likes these types of games.

As someone who loves adventure and puzzle games, Outer Wilds was a match made in heaven. It’s not action-packed, and there’s not crafting or deep survival mechanics like most space games have. Instead, it delivers an engaging mystery that isn’t spoon fed to you. It offers its own unique challenge that I highly recommend to anyone that loves video games or space.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses is far from just an upscaling of the 3DS games. It’s an evolution for the series which makes it appealing and accessible even to those who aren’t crazy about strategy RPGs. It’s a great gateway for the genre and another excellent addition to the Switch library.

Ubisoft's platformer was one of the best games money could buy last year, and it's one of the best games you can play on your PlayStation Vita now.

From its narrative to its world to its puzzles and combat, Control intrigues its players and invites them to think and rewards them handily for doing so; a true remedy for overly linear and coddling game design.

Persona 4: Golden proves as endearing, powerful, and emotionally charged as it did in 2008, but with a host of new features and newcomer crutches, the experience can't be beat. Despite a few small hiccups, including the odd one-hit kill from an unassuming shadow, Golden manages to yank at your heart and delight in even servings. There's no better game for your Vita this holiday season.

It retains that spark of ingenuity, that offbeat quirkiness which keeps its design unconventionally timeless.

Considering the sometimes bipolar nature of Square Enix's PC ports, I'm impressed with how well Final Fantasy XV Windows Edition turned out. If you have a mid-to-high end PC, this is the way to experience this game, either if you're playing it for the first time or if you want to go through it a second time.

Super Mario Maker 2 is a joyous celebration of the intricacies that go into designing the perfect level. It’s a game where you can invest hours creating and playtesting one short section of one small level, or decide to do away with creation altogether in favor of playing through its ever-growing number of courses. Despite recurring technical problems that have become synonymous with Nintendo games, Super Mario Maker 2 is still an essential Switch purchase, building upon the groundwork laid by its predecessor and adding so much more.

If you're new to the series, there's plenty of warm water here to sink into, but franchise stalwarts need not worry. Agent 47 is as cunning, deadly, and silent as you want him to be; it just so happens that purist players will also be the most rewarded. Regardless your level of experience, Hitman: Absolution scratches a very specific itch, one that involves a butterfly knife or possibly an accidental electrocution.

Metroidvanias are seen as niche games, but Bloodstained proved that you can craft a title in that tradition while making it incredibly appealing to a general audience. Ritual of the Night is one of the best games released so far this year, and even if you don’t love 2D platformers, the excellent exploration elements, movement, and combat are good enough to win anyone over.

With an unnerving sense of persistent tension and procedurally-generated maps that extend the value of every map, XCOM 2 survives the hype train with just a graze.

FIFA Street offers months of entertainment and is just downright fun to play whichever mode you choose. It is a breath of fresh air to see Street showing the respectful side that competitive "street" sports have.

You know that feeling when you pull away from the last page and feel as though you've experienced something nobody else has? If you're paying attention, that will happen with Brothers. Sure, it doesn't take long to complete the whole experience and see everything there is to see, but the story is told in such a way that it takes just as long as it needs, taken directly out of Portal's script-writing playbook. On that same note, this too is an experience people should be touting as a beautiful demonstration of video games as art.

Vita owners and old-school fans of beat'-em-up classics owe it to themselves to top their collection off with Dragon's Crown.

Sure, I may have criticized the visuals for being too blurry at times, as well as minor frame-rate hiccups, but those are just niggles when considering the massive open world that is now available to Nintendo Switch owners. This might not be the “definitive edition” of the game, but its existence makes The Witcher 3 accessible to more players, and that is certainly a good thing.

Yakuza fans were anxious about whether the series would survive without the glue of Kiryu Kazama to hold it together. However, Ichiban Kasuga is a worthy successor to the Dragon of Dojima, and Like a Dragon is a great new start for this fantastic series that will please long-time Yakuza fans and newcomers alike.

A strong last act with many interesting consequences brought my time in Far Harbor back into focus. This DLC also includes new weapons like “The Striker” which lobs bowling balls for devastating blows, a wonderfully atmospheric island setting, and even a new quest for Nick Valentine that you can access once you return to The Commonwealth.

Oninaki tackles the theme of death brilliantly thanks to some poignant scenes and a willingness to go where most games won’t. That thorough exploration of death ties into every aspect of the game from its hack and slash gameplay to the ending choice that will leave players reflecting upon the journey they just went on. It isn’t often that a game truly succeeds as art, but every part of Oninaki goes back into its core motif and that’s why it is an essential action RPG.

OlliOlli World finally sees the series’ visual style matching its frenetic, fun gameplay. Mostly every new feature added by Roll7 works in its favor, providing a satisfying and impressively deep skateboarding game with immense replayability, tons of customization options, and a fun multiplayer mode. OlliOlli has always been slept on as a series, but with World, this could — and hopefully will — all change.

Complaints aside, Total War: Rome II offers an insane amount of value for your money that is hard to ignore if you’re a fan of the genre. The campaign offers a lot of depth for those so-minded, and battles are a graphically frenzied treat.

It does an excellent job of bridging the worlds of literature and gaming, and offers a unique blend on the venerable CRPG formula. However, its design does limit its appeal somewhat. It’s not a game that seeks to universally please, but that’s okay. Those who dig CRPGs and don’t mind some heavy reading with fall in love with Disco Elysium. I know I did.

Alien: Isolation is a solid survival horror game with high production value that has an extremely compelling setting that captures Ridley Scott's original film vision incredibly well.

Though Borderlands 2 doesn't shoot for the stars, it does more than enough to retain our most awesome recommendation. As long as you have several friends who can join your party, there's no way you will be disappointed.

The extra year of development time paid off and ensured that Assassin’s Creed Origins likely wouldn’t underwhelm its audience by repeating its past sins. Instead, it modernized itself by adopting a more open structure and intuitive set of controls and gameplay systems, effectively marking a new chapter in the franchise. It’s fitting that Origins showed the birth of the Assassin’s Creed while also indicating the much-needed rebirth of the Assassin’s Creed series.

Without spoiling anything, it’s this concept of being powerless that enhances everything going for the story.

Overall, Armored Core 6 is excellent for newcomers and longtime fans alike. It serves as a great introduction to the series, and you don’t need to be familiar with past entries to have a great time. On the flip side, the gameplay and mechanics are familiar enough that you’ll feel instantly at home here if you played AC5 or Verdict Day. Given the positive response to AC6, I hope we see more of the series sooner rather than later. It deserves to be one of FromSoftware’s cornerstones as much as the studio’s Souls games do.

And even though that world is a broken dystopian nightmare, Ghostrunner‘s gameplay is just the opposite. Slicing and sprinting through each dilapidated factory and string of sharply lit billboards is a rush because of how satisfying it is to control as well as how it, through its design, pushes players to play well enough to get the most out of its systems. A seasoned ninja strikes perfectly without any fatal faults; an apt summary of the gameplay loop and Ghostrunner as a whole.

Ether One would still prove itself a touching story, but it is doubtless that the crux of the game I played was restoring the projectors and learning more about Pinwheel.

Even if you're an old hand at Most Wanted at this point (my SpeedPoint total across Xbox 360, PS3, and PC versions was already a ridiculous amount), the ability to control the traffic or cops, and the ability to easy locate hidden cars are worth revisiting Fairhaven. Criterion's also used the extra time to make the Wii U the best-ooking console version, complete with textures from the PC release and a few tweaks to the way night and day look in game.

Nioh 2 is, at times, designed to evoke controller-throwing rage even in the most peaceful individuals. But while the difficulty is dialed up a bit high in some areas, it’s also designed to be one of the best takes of the genre that far surpasses its promising first entry.

It may be a bit light on content, but the craftsmanship on Housemarque's part can't be denied.

Mortal Kombat XL is a fantastic addition to the base game, adding characters that somehow fit extremely well in the roster.

Hades takes the hated cycle of retrying the same checkpoint over and over again, flips it on its head with rewarding progression, and makes the player genuinely look forward to starting over with new abilities and upgrades.

If you've been waiting for a MMO to come out that's well worth its price of admission then you're in luck. Guild Wars 2 presents a diverse repertoire of options ranging from an entertaining leveling experience that constantly rewards you to a deep PvP component that may become the new face of the genre.

The level design and unforgettable bosses surpass even that of Skyrim. In that light, its noticeable hiccups become merely growing pains in the face of a powerful, new idea, one that's sorely needed in an industry saturated with sequels and spin-offs. Inspired by both Dark Souls and Skyrim in almost all the best ways possible, it presents an open world that's wrought with danger, yet begging for adventure, and shows that Capcom is ready to take a leap of faith. And so should you.

Fallout 4 is a roaring response to criticism that the series has ignored its qualities as a shooter in favor of its deeper and stronger RPG roots. Nearly every design change in Fallout 4 poises the game as a more streamlined modern shooter with high production value across the truly open-world Commonwealth wasteland.

Lego The Hobbit is, if not the best Lego game, then closely matched with the top entries in the series. It expands the series repertoire with new mechanics and better quest navigation.

This game is the product of a true master.

Diablo III is a game that relies on very little but is able to offer a tremendous amount of enjoyable gameplay. All it takes is a steady fire of clicks to quickly appreciate how satisfying the skills are to use and in-turn earn mountains of loot that pour from the corpses of enemies. It's a shame that its first week has been wrought with server issues, but Diablo III is a game that has the potential to live a long and prosperous life. Never before has it been this easy to recommend a dungeon crawler to everyone, and it's no surprise that Blizzard Entertainment was the one to pull it off.

If Grand Theft Auto is drama, then Saints Row is comedy. Both have similar sandbox designs, but their aesthetics are wildly apart. Yet just like drama versus comedy, the former is lauded as superior and the latter is seen somehow negatively as a farce. Those people don't know what they're missing. Saints Row IV is exaggerated fun in the loudest, proudest, awesomest, most fu.kingest way possible.

Add in an extensive amount of lore, as well as great writing and detailed conversation options, and the result is a finely-crafted RPG that will take over 60 hours to complete. Be prepared to say “goodbye” to the sun because with so many classes and side quests, most players will want to replay Pillars of Eternity at least once.

If Pixar made a platformer, this would be it.

So if you like classic RPGs, there’s no reason to avoid any of the Bravely games, and if you’re not sure about this one for some reason, download that free demo and get crackin’.

Anno 1800 is one of the most fun city-builders I’ve played in a long time. The construction of your city isn’t as complex as Cities: Skylines, but the complex supply and demand mechanics make Anno more action-packed than many combat oriented RTS games. You’ll constantly be juggling trade routes and worker types, and it all adds up to an incredibly rewarding experience.

Still, Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is so bad that it's oh-so good. Though it doesn't aim to be the best shooter open-world experience ever, it's thoroughly gratifying—the amazing title screen, the jokes in loading screens, the heavily synthesized soundtrack, the whole damn thing.

Mortal Kombat 11’s toned down yet more tactical play gives it its own style that also remains true to the heart of the series. Although the franchise has been all about ripping out beating hearts, MK11 thankfully knew to leave that heart intact.

The key word in the Thomas Was Alone for me is "was." I really hope more people find and download this gem, because it's totally worth the effort. In many ways it's a lot like a good book, where when you're done, you feel slightly alone having experienced it.

For over 40 hours, The Outer Worlds allowed me to be a space cowboy with all the adventure, intrigue, and danger that came along with it. Planet-hopping throughout Halcyon is one of the best experiences I’ve had in a game in years, introducing me to a cast of sympathetic and interesting characters, throwing me into exciting gunfights, and inundating me with tough decisions to make. This is a must-play for RPG fans, and an absolutely vital game for Fallout fans.

While it’s a bit disappointing that the bulk of the package is just a compilation of already released content, it’s still easy to recommend NieR: Autoamta Game of the YoRHa Edition to anyone that hasn’t already played the best game of 2017.

Despite these throwaway modes and some repetitive grinding, Gran Turismo 7 does so much right that it’s still a true comeback for the series following Gran Turismo Sport’s disappointing reception. There’s plenty to do here both for car enthusiasts and GT newcomers alike, so much so that I’d wager this will pave the way for a whole new generation of petrolheads. From its photo-realism to its pinpoint handling and extensive amount of additional features, Gran Turismo 7 is another first-party PS5 success and a new benchmark for performance and visuals on the console.

The Quarry is a celebration of horror with enough twists and turns to excite even the most jaded aficionado. It manages to avoid the tropes inherent with its summer camp setting by giving each of the protagonists a thorough opportunity for characterization and makes you care enough about each of them for their fates to matter. It’s not without flaws. In particular, the exploration sections have a few issues. However, Supermassive Games’ return to AAA manages to exceed the high bar set by Until Dawn.

Kirby and the Forgotten Lands may not quite be up there with the greats of the genre, it’s an incredibly pleasant experience with a great degree of thoughtfulness put into it, from the charming touches littered throughout its overgrown and unkempt world, through to its unabashed emphasis on fun as best evidenced in its hub world. This is a great Switch exclusive for players of all skill levels.

Aside from annoying mega canids that can loop their stun-lock attacks and a handful of interesting weapons, Murder on Eridanos doesn’t add many new gameplay features to its arsenal. It’s mainly just more Outer Worlds, but that’s not a problem when the quality is this high. Interviewing witnesses and potential suspects is a chance for players to more actively engage with its branching dialogue systems and focus on Obsidian’s knack for writing bizarre, loveable, and hilarious characters that appropriately skewer corporate capitalism. It hones in on The Outer Worlds’ strengths and is an excellent way to send off one of the best RPGs in years.

When you take the time to explore, you’ll find a surreal, beautiful game waiting for you. But, again, SaGa Frontier does an absolutely terrible job of making this clear. Fortunately, SaGa Frontier Remastered takes much of the frustration out of this. You can save anywhere, and there’s an autosave, you can speed up movement in the overworld and battles too. This is the best way to experience an often overlooked masterpiece, and I hope that SaGa Frontier 2 gets a similar treatment in the future.

The bald, barcoded assassin has had many hits in his 21-year career, but even though it might be his last for quite some time, Hitman 3 is one of 47’s best executions yet.

Fans who love Monster Hunter exclusively for the hunts will likely welcome the raised emphasis on taking on major monsters as quickly as possible. However, Rise is missing some of the worldbuilding of Monster Hunter: World, which will make it feel a bit emptier for players who prefer to stop and smell the roses.

Don’t expect anything revolutionary. Sunbreak builds on a firm foundation and caters to those who conquered the base game. However, I see those who played tens of hours of Monster Hunter Rise feeling a bit weary when they boot up Sunbreak. Especially given its slow start.

“Why pay $4.99 on Steam for something that’s free on your browser?” is a common question that’s popping up. For me, Cloud Save alone is worth the price of admission, as I no longer have to worry about cookies (the other type) and backing up my saves manually. This combined with the music from C418 and support for Steam Achievements makes Cookie Clicker Steam the definitive version that’s worth paying for.

This game’s biggest fault is that it has too much going on that detracts from the main plotline. I’m hoping Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio keeps taking risks with exploring gameplay outside of the Yakuza norm, and our next outing with Judgment (or another spinoff) will go further toward distinguishing itself as a unique property.