This is is a challenging and finely-tuned ninja action title with an emphasis on split-second timing and attacks of opportunity, and features one of the best combat systems I’ve seen in years.

Far: Lone Sails is a wonderfully lonely trek that will take the player from one end of a dry ocean to the other, and it’s the rare sort of experience that says a lot without ever saying a thing.

Everything about it is finely-tuned and dripping with polish—the bright, stylized visuals, the rock-solid handling, the smart decisions in its core design, use of its Mexican themes, and so on.

Mewgenics is sure to be a hit with Binding of Isaac fans, roguelite fans, and tactics RPG fans. It has McMillen’s signature ugly-cute Newgrounds flash art, a toe-tapping soundtrack, and an unfathomable number of ways for players to approach its chaotic, layered grid combat — just be prepared to see many, many, many cats expire as nine lives are not included.

After my love affair with nearly every game that inspired Prey, it seems tailor-made to satisfy me. It is indeed a Corey-Ass Game. Although it does have a few rough spots, Prey is phenomenal, and I immediately dived back in to play more as soon as the credits rolled — a rarity for me. Arkane Studios has been on a hot streak with its past three titles, and I’m looking forward to whatever they try to hypnotize me with next. Or maybe the hypnosis is so ingrained at this point they’ve simply conditioned me to enjoy everything they produce? Hypnotists, indeed.

As someone who enjoys both action and strategy titles, Ronin strikes a perfect balance between the two styles. The implementation, cleverness, design and restraint are basically perfect, and I enjoyed nearly every minute from start to finish – I wouldn’t hesitate for even a heartbeat before recommending it to anyone who likes a little thinking mixed in with their swordplay.

Although Wayward Sky wasn’t much longer, it felt like a complete experience with a beginning, middle, and end. As charming as Dino Frontier is, it feels like a proof of concept – the developers clearly show that this genre mashup not only works in VR, but is massively improved by it. I can only hope their next project is a little meatier.

The research was obviously done for FFX, as religious references from around the world can be found throughout the adventure, whether it be the Crusades from Medieval times or the Church’s determination to have Galileo refute his radically new scientific theories to name a few.

Games have the ability to give players the experience of being a superhero in a very special way that is unique to the medium, and in Batman: Arkham City that experience has been crafted to a near perfection. It's a downright shame that the game has the aforementioned issues, because everything else is absolutely masterful.

While it’s still got room to grow, what’s here is great for fans of baseball. MLB The Show 17 is a clear step up from 2016 in gameplay, presentation, and overall experience. Some control and commentary quibbles remain, but not enough to detract from what is the best in the series to date, and one of the best baseball games today. As a PS4 exclusive, Xbox players should be envious.

Atelier Lulua is more than a case of ‘Gust has done it again’, although that’s obviously true. It’s a great game with a brilliantly-told story full of great twists. More than that, though, it’s notable because it takes the chance to question an element at the very heart of the genre — why is combat so central to the experience? Is it a necessary part of the story being told, or does it wind up limiting the kind of adventure that developers can to craft? There’s no clear answer here, but the fact that the question is being asked in such an interesting way deserves a huge amount of respect.

While it’s easy to nitpick, it’s even easier to rave about how great the rest of the The Ancient Gods is. I’m not sure this is the best place to jump into Doom Eternal given its initial difficulty, but picking up the whole package is absolutely recommended. The Ancient Gods consistently delivers some of the best combat ever seen, and delivers it in spades.

Endlessly replayable with great multiplayer, fantastic combat, and a movement system that should be the envy and inspiration of every developer, Sairento is an absolute must-play for anyone who can handle the action. Hopefully the developers are already at work on the promised sequel, because the only thing Sairento left me wanting is more.

This new entry banks its entire identity on being the sum of parts we've seen before, and the sense of familiarity can be too much at times for series vets.

Homeworld Remastered Collection is a huge proposition, an indelible package, and it deserves to remain a towering monolith in the RTS game canon as long as possible... And now, I think that maybe it's not so bad feeling tiny.

A gem, and perhaps the greatest indie sports game of all time. In fact, it's so good that big-budget sports devs need to take an honest look at it—there's a lot they could learn.

As a title that miraculously manages to be accessible to newcomers, challenging to veterans, rewarding to explorers, detail-rich for the lore-lovers, and able to be completed by the dedicated, Dark Souls 2 is an intriguing, well-designed title that should not be missed.

SUPERHOT VR is a dazzling experience that manages to improve on what was already mind-bendingly intense. I didn’t think it was possible, but the developers have improved on SUPERHOT, cutting what little fat there was off of and leaving only the purest moments of intense violence. SUPERHOT was a completely bold and different addition to the world of FPSs, and SVR manages to do exactly the same thing to the virtual reality scene.

More than anything else, I suppose, Half-Life 2 is the story of a group of developers in love with their physics engine.

UnMetal manages to both comment on a classic video game and best it in any number of ways. Kojima’s ultra-serious presentation of bizarre characters and situations is ripe for parody, and many have attempted to do just that, but UnMetal manages to accomplish the task better than any game I’ve seen with great gameplay, brilliantly twisty storytelling, and hilarious comedy. UnMetal succeeds at everything it sets out to do. For anyone familiar with the source material, it’s a masterpiece. For anyone else, it’s merely a fantastic experience that’s not to be missed.

Sure, it might not reinvent the wheel as built by Diablo II over a decade ago, but Runic deserves props for perfectly recreating the formula. Many others have tried to bring their own take on Diablo to the market-and failed. Runic didn't, which makes Torchlight II an essential purchase for anyone who loves to crawl through dungeons while scoring phat loot.

Nostalgia and fond memories aside, Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania delivers an experience that’s always been amazing, and now it comes complete with a fresh coat of paint and a bunch of extras. To any one who hasn’t yet tried these titles, I say… Go bananas.

Worth playing because its one of only a few videogames on the market that does not lead me from point A to point B and just flat out refuses to do any of the hand-holding that gamers are accustomed to.

An exquisite experience from start to finish. Its huge set pieces, impressive vistas, and engaging mechanics are as strong as the sense of personality and creatorship behind them.

If I was simply grading Star Wars Jedi: Survivor in a straight comparison with its predecessor, it would already be a great game. However, Respawn took a hard look at what worked and what didn’t, and they’ve polished, fixed and expanded on virtually everything. From the robust combat suite, upgraded movement system, detailed world, and exciting story that not only rivals the best Star Wars games, but the major triple-A titles out right now, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is simply one of the best videogame sequels released in recent memory.

Thirty Flights of Loving is precisely as long as it needs to be, and contains exactly what it needs to contain. This efficiency makes it a richer experience, not a poorer one, because it insists that the player engage with the story and piece it together himself, rather than sitting back and absorbing an endless train of cinematics.

Although the sadistically-steep challenge will crush anyone expecting a simple platformer, players who press on into the meatgrinder that is 1001 Spikes will find a top-tier production worthy of respect despite the fact that it makes absolutely no allowances for anything less than perfection.

Rock Band is admittedly a financial investment, but for the gamer with at least one friend who enjoys music, I think it's worth it.

No good thing can last forever though, and as pretty and pleasant as the islands are, I couldn’t stay. After finishing a section, I often made Arina and Frendt run back and forth just to look at the details and to enjoy the complete, endearing picture, but that’s not how progress is made. I had to make them move on. Reminiscing on and remembering the past is sweet and often important, but we can’t spend too much time on it — The Gardens Between serves as a gentle reminder to anyone who may have forgotten that.

As the first chapter of an episodic adventure, Blues and Bullets accomplishes everything it needs to—great writing, interesting characters, hints of a compelling story, and engaging gameplay are all present.

EyeToy feeds the average person's vanity by projecting themselves onto the television. As just about every reality show on the air proves, being on television remains an important status symbol in our culture.

The game for the first time ever actually has a counterpoint to these [hopeless] moments; the ying to that helpless-and-hopeless yang. That ying is an exhilarating sense of heroic empowerment.

Add to that some late-game plot twists, several path-altering choices, a wide variety of obstacles to overcome, multiple endings to discover, and a wealth of small touches (like your character's clothing deteriorating with each narrow escape) and you've got a progressively energetic game set in a fantastic locale: one step beyond everyday life.

Atelier Ryza knows that it’s the start of a new franchise, and it ends with the promise of more to come. It’s dangerous to assume that the developers can keep up this level of quality, but after getting through the story and a robust assortment of side quests, I’m as excited about as I was after completing Atelier Sophie. Ryza isn’t the best in the series, but it certainly has the potential to be the jumping-off point for the best trilogy yet.

Even though it's most definitely a must-buy masterpiece, in my hard-headed opinion Pikmin 2 is still a tad bit shy of toppling the classic original. [JPN Import]

Personally, as much as I have been impressed by Forza, I found it to be just a little too much. It's a fantastic game, but one best suited to those willing to invest some serious time into their racing games.

I don't think it's an overstatement to say that Quantic Dream's work is an achievement for dramatic storytelling and a bold step forward towards maturation of the medium. Games like this are what I live for as a player and as a critic.

For those looking to spend a few melancholic hours drinking in the sights and sounds of a desolate island while churning over an old man’s heartbreak, this version of Dear Esther is as good as it gets.

As a fan of the series, I loved Game of Thrones Episode One: Iron from Ice. It's a great start that does the show justice and perfectly captures the brutality and political intrigue of Westeros.

I’ve gone on record several times to say that Mortal Kombat 11 is a fantastic game, and this Ultimate package is a fantastic deal. If there’s anyone out there still curious but hasn’t yet taken the plunge, there’s no better time.

With great combat, compelling characters, and a mission structure that ensures the players sees the direct effects of their actions, Vampyr is one of the best action-RPGs I’ve ever played. While it may not offer the sheer size of a Witcher or Fallout, it tells a resonant and consequential story that’s married it to some of the best open-world quest design around. This is one that’s absolutely not to be missed.

Even with its sci-fi and puzzle elements set aside, Cold Iron is simply the best western dueling game available in VR. The fact that it has a great story and rewarding puzzles is just icing on this six-shootin’ cake.

Ultimately, I think it's the focus on the characters and the growth they experience that takes Grandia over the top. The angle the designers took for Grandia as a more lighthearted and anecdotal adventure is refreshing. It never overwhelms like the newer, over-ambitious efforts that are out there but rather, offers up the less tangible part of gaming.

Atelier Meruru is brilliant, and only a coal-hearted misanthrope could fail to be utterly charmed by it. This entry cements my opinion that the Atelier Series may well be the best-kept secret in the entire JRPG genre.

Football Manager 2017 is no revolution, but it doesn’t claim to be. The franchise is, instead, built upon careful revisions and tweaks to its successful formula, bringing new feature sets on top of the base game loved by millions. It’s these millions who purchase it every year, and continue to support a developer who continues to push themselves with every release, improving their formula and giving fans the best possible experience — whether managing a world powerhouse or a lower level team just trying to balance the books, the decisions made are never easy, and genuine pressure exists. Football Manager continues to capture the essence of what it is like to truly love, fear, hate and live football, like no other ever has.

It's an incredibly rich, unique and innovative take on first-person shooters-yet it's also a flawed game, suffering from a few minor scripting bugs and some rough edges in the gameplay that occasionally interfere with what is, for the most part, an exceptionally engaging experience. But despite its imperfections, it is a truly groundbreaking game, captivating in its complexity, its mystery, and its vividly realized world that stands as a milestone in both imagination and engineering.

"Then what's wrong with using TV to brainwash the masses?" It's a chill-inducing sentiment, but after playing both Space Channel 5 games, I could see it coming from Ulala just as easily as from the cackling Mr. Blank.

The Atelier series is the most consistently-excellent brand in the JRPG genre, and Atelier Ryza 2 is another big win for the developers, as each new iteration finds a way to keep the gameplay fresh and interesting. All the developers had to do this time was not drop the ball after the excellent Ryza 1, but by digging in and developing their wonderful cast, they’ve gone above and beyond in setting up a fascinating journey to come.

One may play for an hour or two, but they're constantly tempted to go back in and uncover the scads of remaining secrets. It's a style of game that really intrigues me, and one I want to see more of

All three of the Yakuzas featured in this collection are essentially perfect — each one boasts fantastic stories, great gameplay, and an opportunity to spend time in one of the most vibrant worlds in the history of videogames. Whether a player is someone who’s beaten the PS4 titles and wants to see the rest of the story, is a longtime fan considering a replay, or someone coming to the series fresh, I’d recommend this collection wholeheartedly.

For a trip back to the well, R6: Vegas 2 proves an unusually excellent cash-in. I'd be lying, though, if I said that my two favorite levels weren't the prologue and epilogue, which both forgo the Vegas setting for a trip to an exotic locale.

Resident Evil 4 is a truly fantastic remake of an already-stellar title. Some of the omissions, tweaks and changes do mean that it’s a perfect complement to the original experience rather than a replacement, but this is about as fine an update to a classic as one could possibly hope for.

Rather than preaching, Hotline Miami asks the questions and forces the player to confront the answers himself, without exculpating its own creators. That's the real mark of maturity.

It's really a testament to the game's quality that even though I found its politics and implications deeply troubling I was still won over by the amazing gameplay.

For every 500 games that are boring, uninspired, graphically-enhanced rehashes, just one title like ICO is enough to reinvigorate my love of games and keep me going another day.

I’m glad that after 20 years, Nintendo can still make something old feel new again.

The series, especially this installment, has become among the most memorable game-playing experiences of my life.

The slightly disappointing storyline aside, it's impressive just how well the whole thing gels together, and DmC: Devil May Cry succeeds on pretty much every level imaginable.

Evan’s Remains is a beautiful, cleverly designed experience with themes that stretch far beyond its premise of a girl on a mission in uncharted territory. Spending time with it made me ponder the nature of gameplay and of how storytelling is used in games in a way few others have.

Black Bird is stunning. It’s rare to see a project so finely tuned, so perfectly balanced, confidently paced and smartly constructed, let alone from a team whose previous work was an iOS puzzler. This is fantastic stuff. So, like I said earlier… I think I need to go download Million Onion Hotel now.

In case it hasn’t been made abundantly clear by now, Tekken 8 is a must-play for fans of the series, fans of the genre, or even for new players wondering what all the hype is about. It’s a standout entry in a phenomenal series, it respects the player’s time, and gives them a ton to do, and it’s a joy to play. Go get it.

It’s damn near perfect, and offers an immensely satisfying experience with plenty of replayability — it’s so good, in fact, that after completing it for the first time, I sat down and immediately completed it again on Hard Mode.

I can’t say much more about this little gem without running the risk of spoiling something, and since there’s absolutely no fat on these bones, giving even a little away would be a crime. However, what I can say is that this small, unassuming indie is a masterclass in tight, focused design and it delivers a wonderfully layered experience. Funny, scary, clever, and eerie in equal measure, The Count Lucanor is an absolute delight… Whether Hans finds his happily ever after nor not, this modern fairy tale is one that’s worth experiencing.

So Portal does its job within the Orange Box compilation, taking a brilliant left-field idea and successfully merging it with Valve's universe over an entertaining few hours of gaming.

Those rough spots aside, The Missing isn’t just a great game — it’s an important one. It uses grim and upsetting content to put players inside of the mind of a troubled person, then offers them a path towards healing. It doesn’t suggest that overcoming mental and social problems is easy, but it resonates like few other things have in recent memory. I can’t say that I personally related to J.J.’s struggle, but by the end of the story, I can say that I felt her pain — and isn’t that what art is for?

After hours of hair-splitting and nitpicking, the bottom line is that Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens just may be the best time I’ve had with a Lego title in years. Everything here is big, broad and loaded with replay value, and — unlike stormtrooper fire — will provide fans with a perfectly aimed blast of entertainment.

I avoided Far for much of the year, thinking it was another bog-standard indie exercise in gloom and ambiguousness. I was delighted to instead discover something beautiful, unpretentious and even hopeful. Don’t make the mistake that I almost did.

All of these positives were true in the PS2 original, though, so the triumph of Leifthrasir is in making things easier to enjoy on current platforms.

Though it’s not a revolution as much as an evolution, NBA 2K25 easily justifies its price tag. There’s still grinding, leveling, and more side quests than Skyrim. but it all seems more accessible and approachable than in years past, while also being more realistic and beautiful than ever before.

This title has it all—engrossing and challenging gameplay, a plot that rises above the usual clichés of the genre, loads of depth and customization, great graphics, and some excellent audio. This is, hands down, the best RPG I've played in 2005.

No More Heroes III is a dizzying, introspective, macabre celebration and roast of nerd culture that has some of the deepest cuts ever put into a game. It doesn’t quite have the same satirical bite as the original, but it’s down for a good time. Fans of the franchise will be absolutely thrilled, and anyone looking for the polar opposite of ‘cookie cutter’ will find it here.

The online is worthy of special mention, as it’s arguably the most important factor when it comes to a fighting game’s longevity. Fortunately, Guilty Gear Xrd: Revelator nails this aspect admirably. The netcode is solid, with even games held between Japan and the UK offering decent matches.

I enjoyed the violence in Dynasty Warriors 3. However dignified the game’s treatment of its subject may be, I was neither appalled nor enlightened by the violence. I was thrilled by it.

Although it’s clear the experimental narrative adventure genre isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, What Remains of Edith Finch proves that videogames are still ripe with opportunities for deep, mature storytelling. Tissue companies might notice a bump in sales as long as developers like Giant Sparrow are around, too.

Sand Land is a magnificent experience. The combat is thrilling, the story is affecting, and the world demands to be explored. More than that, though, it’s incredible how adept it is at everything it tries. Yes, most of the time spent here is third-person vehicle exploration or on-foot brawling, but the developers are never afraid to mix things up, and all of it works just as well as the central mechanics. More than that, though, Sand Land is a deeply sweet game about fighting prejudice and division, and making a more perfect future by working together.

Tales Of Kenzera: Zau is a great expression of the boundless naivete, bravery and optimism afforded to the youngest of humans that also showcases cultures and settings that are rarely seen in videogames, but does so while delving into the stages of grief with reckless abandon and a positive outlook in an industry hell-bent on aggrandizing endless misery. As such, Zau is a near-masterpiece that embodies the phrase “breath of fresh air” in every sense.

It’s still kind of incredible to think that a single developer working alone made something like Iconoclasts, but after playing, it’s easy to see why it took as long as it did. Rough patches might remain, but Iconoclasts is a singular effort that, had it lived in the time of its inspirations, might have stood tall alongside them to inspire future generations of creators. In present day, it’s a sharply contemporary work that incorporates those lessons to result in a brilliant, unique experience.

I came into Strong Bad's expecting quality adventuring, the unique comedic stylings that make me feel like I'm a kid watching Rocko's Modern Life again, and some good old fashioned The Cheat kickin'. That's exactly what I got, and there was virtually nothing throughout the experience that annoyed or dissatisfied me.

Sniper Elite 4 is the best sniping game I’ve ever played, and is absolutely the high point of the series. This is a perfect example of what can be achieved if a developer understands what their game’s potential is, and never stops working towards it. Rebellion has made huge leaps forward with every new entry in this series, and they’ve finally reached a point where the results are flat-out incredible. I can only imagine the great things they’ll accomplish in the future.

While Monster Hunter 4: Ultimate is still Monster Hunter (and thank goodness for that) Capcom has put a great deal of effort into improving the overall experience, and I'd say that their revamp has been a wild success.

Nobody comes to platformers for the story, they come to them for joy of play – and Demon Tides is nearly pure mechanical joy. It’s a geyser of creativity and passion that ennobles the genre. There are flaws, but they’re very hard to see from the heights this game reaches the vast majority of the time. Anybody with any interest in jumping and/or collecting should leap, not walk, to the digital storefront.

End of Zoe is incredibly well-paced and zips through four mid-sized locations in around an hour, including a return to an old haunt that’s been completely transformed by the Umbrella-led cleanup. End of Zoe is an incredible expansion to RE7 not just because it completely rebuilds the core gameplay and still works perfectly, but because it reinforces just how transformative VR is to the horror experience.

American Arcadia manages to tell an incredibly compelling story that makes its world feel a bit too close to our own, accompanied by smart gameplay and an incredibly well-written story, along with a stellar cast of characters. Trevor’s wild and suspenseful escape from Arcadia is guaranteed to give him (and the show) a much-needed ratings boost.

FRU absolutely delighted me with its ingenuity and elegance. It has gone on to become not only a surprisingly enjoyable indie gem, but one of my absolute favorite exclusives for the Xbox One, and one of my favorites of all time.

Despite some slight disappointment from thinking about what else this remaster might have offered, the giant grin on my face while playing was impossible to remove. Being able to play on consoles at 60FPS makes it a monumental upgrade over the older versions, and the core experience has aged surprisingly well. Despite the fact that this is a fairly modest remaster package, Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit remains one of the finest arcade racers in recent memory, and anyone with even a slight interest in the genre should jump behind the wheel.

The amount of mods that have been made for Lethal Company since its launch is honestly incredible. They range from fixing some of bugs and technical issues, to turning some of the monsters into Goku from Dragonball Z — truly a horrifying sight. With an ever-growing community, evolving gameplay, the freshness of every run and the sheer terror that the experience delivers, I can easily imagine myself laying Lethal Company far into the future. making such a splash and shaking up the horror genre this thoroughly is no small feat, and it’s even more impressive coming from such a small indie studio.

It supplies everything the arcade racing fan wants: slick graphics, lots of speed, and a lot of style.

It creates an experience that truly comes the closest to actual soccer as any other videogame to date.

In the end, NBA 2K23 isn’t a perfect game. But it is the strongest, deepest, smoothest, and most enjoyable showing for the series in some time. With a little less focus on microtransactions, and a little more focus on ramping up other modes, perfection is definitely within reach in the coming years.

The issues I had controlling it weren’t nearly enough to dampen the incredible experience I had playing STAY, though. In fact, because it features multiple endings, it made me do something I’ve done (maybe) twice in my life — I immediately started playing it again after the credits rolled. I didn’t necessarily want another ending, but I desperately wanted to know more about Quinn, more context to his life, and to learn more about how he got to this point. For a videogame, the ability to engender such curiosity is pretty damned rare, and a true achievement worth celebrating.

Dropping a dollar or two on this title is an absolute no-brainer-and while you're at it, and pick up the original at the same time. On the iPhone, they rarely come better than this.

With its darkly mature subject material and radical re-interpretations of standard play formulas, I Am Alive is both emotionally difficult and conceptually challenging-and those are wonderful things in my book. R

Overall, this is an impressive first title from a young indie studio. An enjoyable cast of characters with great designs combined with an incredibly solid battle system facilitate an engaging story full of twists and turns. It may not win any awards for pure originality, but we do stand on the shoulders of giants, and in this sense Cris Tales rises higher because of it.

Truly a superlative game, offering unparalleled control, fine presentation and plenty of play modes to toy around with.

Year in, year out, the Atelier series never fails to top itself. Atelier Sophie isn’t just a check-in with beloved character — it manages to meaningfully increase our understanding of that character by giving her the chance to interact with her closest companions in an entirely new context. For fans of the franchise, this is one of the most satisfying experiences that Gust could have offered, and for anyone looking for a chill, accessible JRPG, it doesn’t get any better than this.

Nothing else needs to be said—Zen Pinball 2 owners should buy South Park Pinball. South Park fans must buy this table pack.

Another year, another fantastic game in the Atelier series. Wonderful characters, an expansive story, a great big open world to explore… never once has it felt like this series has rested on its laurels. I see similar themes and callbacks to earlier games, of course, but fundamentally each Atelier series looks at what came before and builds something new and beautiful atop it – and Firis is no exception. I feel like I say it every year, but I honestly have no idea how they’re going to top this. And yet, I’m fairly confident that they’ll manage it somehow.

I don’t have any criticisms of Mutazione worth mentioning. Die Gute Fabrik has done a masterful job in crafting Kai’s tale, and it held my attention from start to finish. It was so good, in fact, that I have reached the end of this review without celebrating the absolutely marvelous art style which is what brought the game to my attention in the first place. This tale of a girl reconnecting with her grandfather while learning about the connections he made is not to be missed.