The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is simply delightful and is how every top-down Zelda game should feel like. It’s not huge in the scale of Tears of the Kingdom in size or depth, but it still manages to give you plenty of hours of fun, exploration, and wonder that make it an influential entry in the Legend of Zelda series.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the team of veteran beat ‘em up developers made another great beat ‘em up game. Absolum evolves the best parts of classic beat ‘em up action and weaves it with an original story, a compelling world, and roguelike elements. This doesn’t seem like a game that should work as well as it does, but it’s some of the most fun I’ve had with a co-op game this year.

Avowed is so much more than Obsidian’s take on Skyrim. This game sets the standard for what future Western RPGs should strive for. Nearly every option in combat is worth exploring, the companions are fully fleshed out with backstories that beg to be uncovered, and the anti-imperialist message at the center of the larger narrative is full of thoughtful nuance and intrigue. Obsidian has created a wonderful adventure that I can’t wait to start playing again.

A Plague Tale deals with the subjects of lost people amid plague and war – subjects that have become part of our daily lives in recent years and months. It does this by placing the characters in a story told through the prism of fantasy, which allows it to avoid moralizing. Perhaps A Plague Tale is the most up-to-date and relevant critique on our reality in video games. And at the same time, the sequel – forgetting about the context – is just a great sequel and a really good game.

While may stumble at times with balancing the amount of mini-games it throws your way, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth excels in all other areas and feels magnificent when all its pieces click into place.

Dark hallways, screams in the distance, and blood splatters on the wall may not seem inviting, but Dead Space Remake manages to create an alluring adventure throughout your playthrough, even if you played it already 15 years ago.

Pikmin 4 is the best the series has produced so far. It brings with it elements that have worked before to give us a complete package that keeps the magic of Pikmin alive.

Ghostwire Tokyo brings elements of an action RPG, a horror game, and an open-world game together with brilliant results. The environments and the visuals are dripping with style and substance, with nearly everything in the game having a real-life inspiration from myths to urban legends. While it might not quite be the horror game some fans are looking for, Ghostwire Tokyo delivers a fun and engaging experience from start to finish.

Sure, it gets weird—sometimes confusingly so—but Death Stranding 2 also delivers a gripping, thoughtful experience full of memorable moments, clever mechanics, and emotional highs. It's strange, beautiful, messy—and it's one of Kojima's best works yet, a truly worthy successor to the original.

From characters you may have forgotten about, to clever lines that pull the story together, to even more challenging puzzles that keep you invested in figuring them out, Return to Monkey Island is a treasure trove of fun. For fans that have waited so long for this sequel, the wait has been worth it as the game not only closes the chapter on a classic series but it also lets you revisit a past that is unique to every player.

At its core, Ghost of Yotei is another tale of revenge, but it’s the way it frames that theme—through Atsu’s humanity, the land of Ezo, and the people within it—that makes the experience truly worthwhile.

While Forza Horizon 5 launches with a score of "only" 9.0, it has potential for even more. All Playground Games have to do is to eliminate bugs and bring back some missing cars, which could be done in a few months, with several updates. What about a perfect 10/10? It would require a multitude of further improvements to AI and physics. But perhaps Forza Horizon 6 will achieve that. I surely hope so, as this would give us the perfect racing game.

Alan Wake 2 proves to be worth the wait. This sequel is an upgrade in nearly every way, and while player influence on the story can feel limited at times, the engaging narrative more than compensates. From the challenging, tense combat to the excellent environmental storytelling, Alan Wake 2 will have no trouble hooking players from start to finish.

Five years after the original, the Mario + Rabbids series finally has a sequel. No one could have expected such a strange crossover to have such engaging tactical combat and enjoyable RPG mechanics, but with this series, it’s hard to know what to expect. Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope follows in the footsteps of its predecessor by being one of the weirdest games out there, but also incredibly fun.

These small flaws aside, True Colors is tugs at your heartstrings and doesn’t let go until its credits roll. It’s a wholesome game that covers some deep subject matter, but gives it to you in a way that makes for an enjoyable viewing and gaming experience. Fans of the series will love how familiar it feels to the other games, but everyone will appreciate how mature its themes are that continue to emphasize the uniqueness and unexpectedness life can bring – superpowers in hand or not.

In the end, its expert cast, beautiful worlds, and clever writing together tell a very stimulating story of discovery, despite its otherwise quirky exterior.

There is a lot to love about NBA 2K22 which makes it one of the best basketball games out there. Besides just looking and feeling amazing, a lot of time and effort was put into ensuring this game wasn’t just a rehashing of last year’s version. From its smart tweaks on the court to its heightened level of realism in nearly every aspect of its gameplay, NBA 2K22 is the ultimate fan experience and delivers a season worth of thrills where it matters most.

No More Heroes III is a strange game, but absolutely worth your time. If you’ve ever watched an anime and wished you could play out the battles yourself, you will love this game. But if you haven’t had that specific experience and just enjoy a story-driven, chaotic hack-and-slash, you’ll have a great time as well.

Focusing more on its traditional combat experience, Fire Emblem Engage is an impressive game that tries to give you a lot to play with and succeeds in feeling refreshing yet on brand. Its Emblem mechanic brings nostalgic elements to battle while introducing better ways to modify and customize your party, though its social aspects are more toned down than in previous installments.

The TV set melted and the PS4 is a pile of smoking ash after the encounter with Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon. This game in every respect reminds me of face-melting red-hot metal.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 really improves almost every aspect of its already very good predecessor. Looking at the whole thing more calmly, we of course see the flaws, but it's hard to ignore the enormous amount of effort, passion, and heart put into this project.

The Talos Principle 2 is a powerful puzzle game that builds on its predecessor and effortlessly takes your mind for a ride.

Stellar Blade is an above-average title. Well-developed, with a captivating story from the first moment, and most importantly engaging due to thoroughly well-planned and competently executed gameplay. The South Korean studio Shift Up performed exceptionally well, and despite my initial skepticism, I ultimately saw it as one of the top games of 2024.

I never could have seen this coming, but it makes sense that such a talented indie studio would make an awesome Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game. Fun and challenging battles combine perfectly with a unique tabletop-like art style and an excellent soundtrack, making this game feel like a new side street off memory lane.

A great game, and a really good port. Rejoice, PC gamers, because you can now play one of the best games of previous generation (and according to some, ever) on your fancy, high-speed drives. 2022 couldn't have started better for you.

Mario Party Jamboree is one of the strongest titles the series has seen in a long time simply because it brings back everything that has made its best-selling games successful and offers you enough new modes, features, and content to keep it feeling fresh and exciting.

To a T is one of the strangest, most adorable, most heartwarming games I’ve played in a long time. Through all its absurdities, it has a profound message that will stay with you long after you put the controller down. This is a short, delightful experience that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to anyone. It’s nearly impossible to play this game without smiling.

In the end Hades 2 is an extremely successful sequel to the cult game. Both the seasoned pros and those new to Supergiant games are going to have a blast with it. Although it's still a roguelike, with all the advantages and disadvantages of the genre, the excellent dialogues and hypnotic music make it worth the effort. The visuals, refined down to the smallest detail, are stunning, and characters such as Dora and Artemis will stay with you long after the game ends. Hades 2 isn't perfect, but it's still ready to take on Clair Obscur, the new Silent Hill, and Silksong.