To pan the game for not being more like GTA 3 is misguided, disrespectful to the each title's unique contributions, and also speaks volumes of the lack of critical thinking of the X-Play critics and the industry as a whole.

While it may not have reached perfection yet, the Atelier series is getting close. Each new title offers a substantive change to the core mechanics, so vets will encounter something new and new players can easily jump in. I seem to say this in every review but it remains true—this is good as JRPG design gets, and I can’t wait to see what the developers have in store next.

It's an amalgamation of one-trick ponies (cel-shading, time bending, old school nostalgia tickling) to make a fulfilling, satisfying and jaw-dropping experience. Meet the new action game, better than the old action game.

In the end I found Naruto to be a great experience, and also developed an appreciation for the series. I may never cosplay as any of the characters, but over the course of the time I spent with the title, I found myself engrossed in the story and loving the frantic ninja warfare.

To fans like me, College Football 25 is about as pure a gaming experience as there is. It wasn’t an online leaderboard or card-collecting mode that made fans beg EA Sports to bring back college football. It was the memories of trash talking on the couch, and recreating a rivalry. It was figuring out those spam plays and finally shutting them down. It was a throwback to gaming’s roots when higher scores were all people needed to enjoy themselves. I could belabor this review with more examples, but in the end, there’s only one key takeaway — College Football 25 delivers on the memories I just listed, alongside countless others. And I can’t wait to see where the series goes from here.

Simply put, Team Ninja deserves a truckload of praise for their work on this game.

Once again, the developers have demonstrated a remarkable ability to change what RE7 is and how it plays on a fundamental level. This is every bit as impressive as the rest of the game’s content, but it feels completely fresh and unique, just going to show what a stellar product Capcom has released. If only it was available in VR.

Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus is a clear win for fans of tactics and 40K alike. The gameplay is rich, detailed and nuanced, and the concept, aesthetics and style are some of the best uses of the Warhammer license to date. No matter which way it’s sliced by a sharp, articulated tentacle, this one’s a winner.

Splatoon is Nintendo's best game in years.

While reaching Kami’s peak is neither simple nor easy, Cairn’s ability to synthesize technicality and intuition results in a deceptively emotional journey grounded in humanity. Every inch of progress in Cairn is a victory, and the overwhelming relief I felt as credits began to roll was matched only by my burgeoning regret at the thought of Aava’s quest concluding.

I was immediately hooked by Great God Grove because the mechanics of taking someone’s dialogue and using it on other characters is something I’ve never seen before, and so it fueled my curiosity. I went out of my way to see as many interactions as I could, and I’m glad I did. Everything in Great God Grove comes together to make a great (albeit short) experience that is well worth getting into.

Oblivion is a game people will still be calling a classic a decade from now—and in the fickle world of gaming, that's high praise indeed.

Whether one is considering the challenging campaign mode or the endlessly replayable multiplayer, Antihero is a top-notch electronic boardgame. It rewards players who learn the systems, but contains just enough random chance to keep things interesting. As a game of stealthy moves, hidden trickery and careful manipulation, this is one of those occasions where the setting and gameplay are perfectly matched, offering a great experience for any would-be thief.

While it’s certainly familiar, the amount of variety on display makes Superstars feel like a proper follow-up and evolution of the old school entries, rather than just a simple retread of those past ideas. And in a way, that’s what I love about Sonic Superstars — it knows what the fans want, but it’s not content with playing it safe. Rather, it introduces new ideas to the well-established, crafting one of the finest 2D platformers around. If Sonic Frontiers set a new standard for what 3D Sonic should be, then Superstars is arguably the new blueprint for his 2D adventures.

Trials Evolution truly is the next step in the outstanding core experience from HD, polishing every aspect of an already-fantastic game to a near-blinding sheen, and then delivering something peerless in terms of technical precision and visceral addiction. They don't come better than this

Dying Light is a great experience from beginning to end. The combat is stellar, the parkour is a genre best, and it's taking place in an environment perfectly designed for the game's strengths. For all of its problems, Dead Island was pointing towards something great in the future, and it's clear that Dying Light is that something.

I can’t begin to describe how happy it makes me to report that not only is Sonic Mania the triumphant return-to-form that fans have been waiting for over the past twenty years, but Christian Whitehead and his team have made the definitive Sonic game. Of course, this may be a tad hyperbolic coming from a longtime Sonic fan like me, but when I have children, this is the Sonic game i’m going to give them. This is a required purchase for anyone who loves this series, and that dope from the playground, wherever he is, can go launch himself into the sun.

At face value, Transpose is a wonderful VR puzzle game that’s as entertaining as it is mind-boggling. However, on the mornings when I started my day with Transpose, I found myself possessed of a calmness and patience that I had difficulty characterizing. As pretentious and hyperbolic as it sounds, the mindfulness and self-acceptance that it imbued in me made Secret Location’s work as transformative — it was an incredible experience to wave to myself, to give myself a high five, to rip my own heart out, or to stand beside myself while waiting longingly for another me.

It was so easy to get into that I was almost fooled into thinking the real-life sport could be that easy.

Virtua Fighter has been successful as long as it has by catering to an audience that could serve as the definition of the word hardcore.

Horizon 4 is far and away the most joyous and welcoming racing game I’ve ever played. It’s flexibility in difficulty and customization are laudable, but there’s one word that comes to mind when I think of this game — freeing. Watching the stunning countryside of Britain whiz by in a dream car is just liberating.

When Francis played his final set and the credits started rolling, I was quite glad to have played The Artful Escape. It is very clearly Its Own Thing, and not only is that thing pretty awesome, it’s just one more example that videogames are able to deliver a huge array of experiences that are all worthwhile in their own way. I love that Beethoven & Dinosaur brought their vision to my screen, and if nothing else, maybe this rock-fueled journey through the stars will get developers off of movies and on to music videos for a while.

Those susceptible to motion sickness be warned: Smilebit were able to devote very convincing flight physics to the camera and movements, some of the best ever captured in a videogame cartridge or disc.

Dream Daddy‘s dads are likable and charming, and the storylines that play out are engaging. But for me, DD succeeded not because of its deft handling of romantic love, but on the strength of its portrayal of a healthy relationship between parent and child. And, Internetty as it is, DD represents the best of the Internet — its existence is a gentle, implicit reproach of Trump and those like him who would seek to ‘other’ the vulnerable of our society and stoke the flames of the culture wars. In contrast, DD imagines a world where being queer isn’t even a topic of conversation — its queer characters just are.

The most impressive and unique highlight of Pride FC is its international cast of playable fighters. Unlike UFC, which only has a handful for foreign-bred entrants, Pride's line-up consists of a wide-range of fighters with different fighting styles from around the world.

With Nier, Cavia has done the seemingly impossible, and created something entirely unique from nothing but borrowed components

Apart from being uninterested in the grind to unlock everything, I’ve got no complaints about Mortal Kombat 11, and I could go on and on about the highlights like the jaw-dropping graphics or an incredibly comprehensive tutorial mode that’s robust enough to take a complete newcomer through the ranks and turn them into a competitor who can hold their own — every aspect is polished and tuned, there’s a mountain of Kontent to dig into, and the whole thing is just cool as hell thanks to strong designs and on-point aesthetics. This game is a far, far cry from what it was back in 1992, and if there was such a thing as a quadruple-A game, Mortal Kombat 11 would be it.

NHL 10 could very well be one of best hockey video games since the immortal NHL 95, and that in my books is a great comparison.

It's an extremely refined, focused experience that is exactly what it aims to be. Players will either get into the groove, grit their teeth and love it (or they won't) but those who bounce off won't do so for lack of craftsmanship.

Putting the requirement for a controller aside, 428: Shibuya Scramble is a thoroughly unique offering in the visual novel space, and well worth picking up for any player interested in game narrative, the uniqueness of Japanese adventures, or those who just want to get some reading done.

I enjoyed Lords of Shadow 2 far, far more than I ever expected to, and have no hesitation recommending it to anyone looking for dynamic third-person action, environmental exploration, or an intriguing new spin on the Castlevania mythos.

Flynn: Son of Crimson isn’t a game that is going to revolutionize action platformers, but it’s a very solid entry into the genre that offers great combat mechanics, solid platforming, and beautiful pixel art to go along with it. This game is absolutely worth a look for fans of this style.

The overall story does come up short when stacked against the incredible Yakuza 0, but it’s still a joy to take Kiryu out for a stroll in the most meticulously-crafted and comically-dangerous rendition of Japan ever offered.

After pushing through the highs and the lows and finally rolling credits, I was pleased to find that the adventure didn’t end — so I just continued playing and rekindled the magical feeling that I had at the beginning. In Animal Well, there are apparently always more secrets to discover.

Minor flaws aside, Yakuza Kiwami 2 is a great reimagining, reworked with love and pride by a team who clearly understand what makes their games shine. Even though there are loads of Kiryu’s adventures to choose from at this point, this one stands apart as one of the best. It may not dethrone 0 as the definitive Yakuza experience, but it’s still an excellent entry in its own right and has essentially become the gold standard by which all remakes should be measured.

While the roster could use some spicing up, Street Fighter 6 is a total blast overall and has captured my attention in a way that other recent fighters haven’t. It’s a fantastic game straight out the gate for both for solo and competitive players, it features excellent netcode that provides smooth cross platform online play across decent connections, and there are a bunch of exciting new gameplay tools and tweaks to get to grips with. Capcom have essentially knocked this one out of the park, and Street Fighter just feels right again.

Like some of these mercs, Jagged Alliance 3 can be a bit rough around the edges, but when the chips are down there’s no question it delivers. This is an easy recommendation for players who enjoy the genre, especially since it’s been 24 years since the last mainline entry in the series. With addictive gameplay, a great cast of characters, and tongue-in-cheek dialogue, liberating this island is a mission worth accepting.

Tortuga Team is the real deal when it comes to turn-based tactics, and this entry is a perfect fit for the Switch — I loved every minute of it.

For fans of pinball or the walking dead, the game is a must-have.

The Eternal Castle Remastered isn’t for everyone and I can easily imagine many prospective players being turned off by the controls or the abstract visuals, but there’s no denying the fact that it’s a strong addition which adds depth to the Switch library, and it comes absolutely recommended to anyone with a taste for those bygone classics or eccentric art-house titles.

This is a really big game for something found on a handheld, an epic yarn that offers up hundreds of hours of gameplay for those willing to invest the time.

While its gameplay might be ancient by videogame standards, Driven Out proves that a perfectly executed concept is timeless. No matter how insurmountable a foe appeared, I knew that if I put in the work, I’d always manage to overcome it. Driven Out is hell on the fingers and it stretched my reflexes to their absolute limit, but the joy of victory was absolutely worth the agony of 500 defeats.

Even with some minor quibbles about the puzzles, I can’t pretend Observer is anything but a brilliant accomplishment. It’s original, creative, stunning, creepy, and occasionally disturbing. It marvels at fantastic technology and wallows in brutal gore in equal measure, creating a hardcore sci-horror that must be played. This isn’t for the faint of heart or those prone to photosensitive seizures (there’s a lot of flashing lights!) but for anyone looking for a different kind of horror or innovative visuals, it’s a must-play.

Anyone looking for high-quality turn-based strategy that eschews the aliens, giant robots, and dragons that generally populate the genre will find Phantom Doctrine to be just the thing they’ve been looking for.

Super Robot Wars 30 is a love letter from mecha fans to mecha fans. It’s flashy, loud, and colorful. It oozes charm, and it’s a delight to play once one gets past the information overload — and in the end, I loved it wholeheartedly.

Anodyne 2: Return to Dust is a deeply affecting game, one that impresses with its ability to make the ‘big questions’ it wants to address an integral part of the worldbuilding, rather than something that characters ponder about in monologues. At its core, Anodyne 2 is about how the essence of life is change, and how trying to stop that change, as scary as it might be, is a fool’s errand.

In keeping with developer Rockstar's cinematic approach to game aesthetics, Red Dead Redemption succeeds in allowing the player to inhabit, in some measure, the Westerns on which it is based.

Culdcept Saga is a true breath of fresh air.

While it might be convenient shorthand to describe Remnant II as Dark Souls with guns, it must also be said that it is its own genre-defining achievement — a co-op looter shooter that finds its own unique, otherworldly identity without succumbing to the worst instincts of the genre.

Mothmen 1966 gets in, tells the story it wants to tell, offers a few surprises, and then gets out long before it wears out its welcome. I had a great time with it, and I would hold it up as an example of a well-done Visual Novel that understands its content and the electronic medium, and leverages both to wonderful effect.

There's a lot of content here, and the game strikes a great balance between cute novelty personality satisfying technical elements.

It's one of the most thrilling titles I've played this year, at once an adoring shout-out to the games that dominated my childhood and an introduction to a series that—surprise!—I actually resonate with. It's not a game for everyone, but it was most certainly the game for me.

The combination of brutal, mostly unwinnable combat and the level-scouring required to solve some of the puzzles might be frustrating to some.

Death Road to Canada has eaten up all of my free time — my lunch breaks and evenings have been dedicated to playing just a little more and going on just one more run. While I can understand that the pixel-art style may not be eye-catching and not everyone is a fan of the roguelike genre, it’s such a strong experience that I’d recommend people even vaguely interested get past their first impressions and jump in — that car to Canada isn’t going to drive itself.

As Bō progresses their actions and attacks become a bit more effective, and when that initial roughness is left behind, the worlds that players encounter afterwards are so beautiful that any early game hiccups are forgotten. Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus is exceptional. With its visually stunning worlds and exciting battles, Bō has all the elements of an indie action classic.

Project Wingman may well be the most frustrating game I’ve ever unabashedly loved by making me feel like the hotshot pilot I’ve never been, and the only price I have to pay is a little bit of my sanity every time I die and remember that there aren’t any checkpoints.

Batman: The Telltale Series started strong and ended the same way, and with many characters’ fates left undecided and new characters appearing in the final act, a second season seems inevitable — I look forward to it.

My hat is off to Terminal Reality... they may have just created the best movie game of all time.

Wearing its weirdness and humour like a badge of honor, Guided Fate Paradox is a fresh take on the Roguelike genre with a quirky tale and dialed-back difficulty that ensures it's accessible to all audiences.

I'm definitely a fan of the autorun genre, and out of all the ones I've played, I feel pretty comfortable in saying that this one is the best I've tried. Toss in the fact that the in-app option to purchase currency comes off as a nice option to have rather than something that's necessary to fully enjoy the game, and One Epic Knight is a can't-miss no-brainer.

While I wasn't the biggest Bastion fan, Supergiant had definitely stepped things up with Transistor. Deep, stylish, fulfilling and concise, Transistor can easily be described in terms used for music rather than games—And like a great song, it stays in one's head long after the credits roll.

With its gameplay and graphical improvements, and a new story mode alongside the original, this is not only the definitive version of Shin Megami Tensei V, it might be one of the best in the SMT series overall. While it may not appeal to everyone, those who love a challenge will not be disappointed.

Golf Peaks is small in stature, easy to grasp, and quite elegant in design — so in essence, it’s the perfect puzzle game to play on the Switch, and it’s one that I recommend without hesitation.

I love when a game comes out of absolutely nowhere to knock my socks off, and that’s exactly what Dungeons of Dreadrock did. Every aspect of the experience shows a notable degree of thought and care — everything’s here that needs to be, it’s all been tuned, and the entire package ticks like a Swiss watch. Without a doubt, this hundred-floor descent into the depths of the earth has been one of the most enjoyable and pleasant adventures I’ve taken all year.

In fact, this is such a solid package that I don't have any outright criticisms, although it would have been nice if they'd thrown in the original Darkstalkers for completion's sake.

Despite the small number of tracks, what’s on offer here is highly accomplished, and Hatsune Miku: Project Diva X’s attempts to bring something new to a rather static style of game are both successful and engaging. Players who can find something to love in Miku’s musical leanings will definitely want to check out their goddess’ latest incarnation.

For a second time, the developers of The Council have proven that there’s life and spirit in Interactive Movie genre, making the most elaborately interactive entry the genre has seen. Of course, since this is only the second entry in a five-part series, players can expect it to end at a point designed to leave them desperate for more, and it does. The third installment can’t get here fast enough!

Despite my issues with its tonal shifts, Altas Mugged is another solid episode with excellent acting, humorous dialog, and an ending that has me eagerly awaiting the next installment. Tales from the Borderlands is two for two so far.

Monster Train 2 is more Monster Train – but it’s more in the most considered, intelligent possible way. Highly recommended.

Dragon Quest Builders 2 takes what was great about the first game and expands on it meaningfully, focusing on community development and large-scale building. While the combat is less-than-stellar, the overall result is a more unique experience that offers much to work with on the Isle of Awakening.

Binary Stars is not only a shmup, it’s also takes cues from roguelikes like randomly generated levels and permadeath. I may never finish it, but even so, Steredenn: Binary Stars is worth playing, and I will happily play it over and over again.

In the end, Battlezone is an incredible VR experience. It’s enough of a full-featured tank simulator that it would be a great time played with standard controls on a normal television, but the perfect immersion takes that already-great play and elevates it to something truly special. Among the eight PSVR launch titles, Battlezone is the best at creating a seamless world for the player to inhabit, and even with a few balance problems in the campaign, it stands as one of the best arguments for getting PSVR.

There's one hell of a third-person action game to be found here—quite possibly the best in its class—for anyone willing to look beyond the game's off-putting exterior.

Despite these minor graphical issues, Monster Hunter Stories remains an incredibly charming game. It’s easy to understand but fairly deep, and the combat system offers plenty of freedom in tackling the series’ classic roster of creatures in engaging and novel ways. For newcomers to Monster Hunter interested in learning about the lore or looking for a point of entry that’s not as intense as the mainline series combat, this is the ticket.

Gears 5 is a superb shooter, and the only real survivor of the genre it popularized. The campaign is worth playing all on its own, but the developers have gone to great lengths by taking a chainsaw to the multiplayer and offering new and exciting ways to play.

While the story is pretty obvious from the jump, I still enjoyed it and the great sense of atmosphere that abounds — I was eager to dive deeper, and the flexibility of the puzzles always made me feel clever. In that sense, Viewfinder is an experience I’d readily recommend to anyone, whether they’re a puzzle aficionado or not.

While the basic premise of The Warriors on the silver screen remains intact in its videogame adaptation, it is confronted with a gritty sense of realism, which gives the original artistic vision of Hill a whole new angle. And that, dear Mr. Ebert, is art indeed.

I really didn't expect much from this game, but it overdelivered in spades.

REANIMAL is a nightmare that won’t end. After beating the campaign I immediately started it up again, hoping that by finding all of the secrets I’d get some answers to the questions the ending raised. Sadly, it wasn’t to be, and I found myself with too many loose ends while also being unable to get the haunting aesthetic out of my head. This is a grim, nasty experience from the masters of the genre. It’s a singularly nasty journey, and while I can’t recommend it to everyone, anyone looking to take a trip through the dark side won’t find one much better.

All of Tails of Iron 2’s aspects ooze a keen understanding of fundamental design values, adding up to a triumphant, intensely satisfying result. It’s a top-tier experience not to be missed by any one who enjoys a challenging 2D soulslike — just watch out for those bats!

My hat is off to them for being able to bring this hugely ambitious project to such a satisfactory conclusion, and I hope the overall quality of this work is indicative of what we can expect from them in the future.

A peerless piece of fanservice wrapped around a pretty enjoyable brawler, and the developers' love of the subject matter shines through as brightly as the sun.

Lego 2K Drive is one of the finest arcade racers around, setting itself apart from the competition by literally building a new foundation for the genre. Like the very best LEGO sets, each of its pieces adds up to a wonderful product. Racing fans owe it to themselves to check this one out.

So, while this offering is missing options relating to customization and the netcode is just acceptable rather than industry leading, this is still a fighting game that has absolutely stood the test of time. It feels as fresh now as it ever has, and while it may not be Virtua Fighter 6, having an active Virtua Fighter online scene in the modern era is absolutely priceless.

The Tony Hawk series was never about realism, and whether they’re old enough to have nostalgia for it or not, Pro Skater 1+2 is a fantastic remake offering intuitive and massively enjoyable gameplay that deserves any skate fan’s attention.

Yoku’s Island Express is a cheery, bright, frictionless experience that adds much-needed twists to an established formula and despite my hesitance for pinball, it sold me on a kind of gameplay that I never knew I wanted.

Virtue's Last Reward takes everything that 999 did well and does it better.

That small matter aside, Atlus once again proves that they are the publisher who takes care of their fans—Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 2 – Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon is another more addition to a long string of superior RPGs, and a solid reason to stay in the last generation just a little bit longer.

Even without the open-ended level design, it was every bit as absorbing as the first game was at its very best and then some. And because of its mission-based structure that allows for quick access to all unlocked levels, it became a very hard game to put down.

Sure, at its core, Battle Through Time is a retelling of the TV series with some deviations, but it absolutely nails what makes Samurai Jack a modern animated masterpiece, and it was a delightful surprise to play through.

As I put in more time, the game kept opening up and more of my own light bulbs lit with the realization of potential.

In the end, my gripes are small and Necrobarista is a fascinating experience that I was both sad (and glad!) to see through to its end. It might seem strange to be happy when something great is done with, but many philosophies, from Zen Buddhism to the aboriginal beliefs held in Necrobarista‘s native Australia, acknowledge that transience and eventual passing is a key part of life itself. Everything moves on, most especially our physical selves. The insistence of staying past one’s time, be it as a spirit living on borrowed time or a game trying to become a part of an overstuffed daily routine, can feel toxic. It’s refreshing to play something that doesn’t want me to stay with it forever, and that’s the kind of passing I raise a nice cuppa to.

Tomb Raider I-III Remastered remains an excellent collection of Lara’s first adventures that allows fans, both new and old, to dive into Lara’s earliest days and see where she got her start. Here’s hoping that The Last Revelation, Chronicles, and Angel of Darkness will be part of a second collection!

Chasm is a fantastic addition to the metroidvania pantheon and the best one since Shadow Complex. It’s frustrating to see it come so close to greatness, only to stumble by following too closely in Symphony‘s footsteps. It would have also done better by abandoning the procedural approach and going for a well-tailored, hand-crafted experience. I loved playing through it once, but there just wasn’t enough to pull me back in once it was done.

Any way it's sliced, Super TIME Force is an excellent effort from an excellent developer, and a bullet-rich, chuckle-worthy feather in Capy's cap. Well done.

The developers have taken the theme and backdrop story very seriously and it shows because the WWII iconography in MoH is captured beautifully not only in the costumes of the characters and the design of the architecture, but it also permeates through the detailed movie-like orchestra scores that make up the background music.

Now in its third iteration, State of Decay is demonstrating a steady improvement that would be the envy of most titles. Each new add-on has made the game's world more interesting and added fascinating gameplay developments.

The perfect melding of two genres, Nelke and the Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of the New World succeeds by taking the best elements of both and cutting all the fat. It’s an experience casual enough on both the management and RPG fronts that it’s the perfect game to introduce newcomers to the series. Most importantly, Nelke is in touch with the series’ heart — at every turn, this is a story about how anything can be accomplished if people are willing to work together, and as saccharine as that may sound, the heroine is so guilelessly positive that it works.