Dragon Age: Origins should be mentioned alongside games like Baldur’s Gate and Neverwinter Nights. The average gamer may wonder why hardcore RPG-players are drawn to a game filled with fantasy-clichés, long conversations, screens filled with statistics and mediocre voice acting. But the hardcore RPG-player knows that Bioware delivered a game that's epic, expansive, dynamic, classic and contains enough elements to make even the biggest critic shut his mouth. Dragon Age: Origins can rightfully be called a masterpiece.

It will require all of you: your devotion, your skill, your ability to pull through. But what you will get in return is one of the greatest wars of attrition you will find on your console.

After the Hot Persuit remake lifted the Need for Speed franchise to new heights, Criterion does it again with Most Wanted. The emphasis on free-roaming, social interaction and over-the-top action with impressive cars make the new Most Wanted a very refreshing racing game. Everyone who likes speed and competition, even in the slightest of forms, owes it to themselves to play this game.

The Zero-games tell a great story in a few of the hardest and best action games of its time. The ZX games had their own issues, but their still worth your while.

Total War: Warhammer is nearly perfect. The production value is sky high, you can immerse yourself in the world of Warhammer. The game is very well-balanced, even though magic is introduced and the Lords playing a big part in it. The game has a brilliant performance too.

Remnant 2 almost feels like an extinct kind of game. It is a 'finished' product - except for the bugs and already announced downloadable content - that you can theoretically (re) play almost 'infinitely', with a maximum of three people and without fuss. Because so many elements are randomly generated, no SEO article or YouTube video can compete with all the surprises and secrets this sequel offers. This is a rare game that you want to app other people about what you have discovered or experienced. They are not often made like this anymore, but Gunfire Games is doing it a second time.

You need to have at least tried Dark Souls 2, or you'll get nowhere. It pulls you into its depressing, brutal world and that feels like a homecoming to its masochistic fans. Still, everything is different. Only via trial by fire you'll discover as a player what the perfect balance is that From Software achieved with its forced changes.

After an exceptionally long waiting time, Streets of Rage 4 lives up to the very high expectations. This extremely colorful, smooth and spirited work by a team of skilled fans is one of the very best side-scrolling beat 'em ups you can play right now.

When the bullets pass by your ears, mortars fall on your hiding spot and tanks open fire on you, you know enough: you’re in a Battlefield-game. Bad Company 2 delivers with a superb multiplayer, perhaps making it the best online shooter currently available. The singleplayer isn’t as polished, but we can forgive the developer.

Feel free to call Spelunky 2 Super Spelunky. Everything feels slightly different in this merciless sequel and that is what makes this game such a unique experience. Old knowledge is not enough to survive the new dangers and chaotic chain reactions. At times this chaos feels unfair and overwhelming, but just as often you know how to avoid death through a bizarre combination of circumstances. Those moments make Spelunky 2 so incredibly good.

'Shoot me in the face! Shoot me in the face! Come on, shoot me IN THE FACE!', a maniacal guy shouts at us passionately. A neck shot and dead body later, the message appears on screen: congratulations, mission accomplished. It's moments like these that show that Borderlands 2 has found its voice. One filled with uncontrolled anger, sudden mania, crude humor and lots of depth. The planet Pandora will keep anyone in its grip for at least thirty hours with intense shoot-outs, bizarre side-quests and crazy characters.

Nier is as awesome as it is obscure. A game that will be hated by simpletons for its bold approach to the action-rpg genre, and loved by anyone in their right mind for exactly the same reason. The oddly loveable cast, the myriad of different gameplay-concepts (ranging from old school to sheer genius) and the awesome soundtrack make Nier into a roughly hewn diamond, brilliantly shining as the surprise of the year.

The comedic army of undead make placing your aggressive plants in every level a party. The tried and tested gameplay of defending your base continues to be interesting thanks to the right amount of variation at the right time. Plants vs. Zombies 2: It’s About Time was definitely worth the wait.

At last, another one of those unexpected fantastic games for the Nintendo DS. Each DS-owner should buy this game, just to let publishers know games like this are the games we want for the platform. The unique features of the Nintendo DS are well used in this colorful RPG.

Soul Calibur IV just oozes quality. It is a very polished game that is crammed with a variety of different play modes. The game is an absolute must-have for every fan of the genre. Because it is easy to pick up and play, Soul Calibur IV is also suited for those unfamiliar with these games.

With a nearly perfect combination of level design, gameplay, storytelling and a challenging experience, studio From Software delivers a package deal. This game might not be successful for Souls-fans due to its scale and limited gameplay options.

Without a doubt one of the best games available for the Wii. If you haven't had the chance to play the game on the PlayStation 2, then now is your chance. It's more than worthy of your money, thanks to the unique style and great gameplay.

Devil Daggers is an intense first-person shooter that seems to be shallow with a lack of features, but actually has an unexpected depth to it. In every level you will learn something new and the possibility to check out how other people play the game, makes it a very engaging experience.

Rayman: Legends is a little bit like Frankenstein. It has a new face, a handful of Origins and a little bit of Jungle Run added to it, all brought to life through magic. Everything that makes platforming fun is here and is given room to shine.

Despite its exceptionally simple gameplay, Vampire Survivors can compete with the biggest releases of 2022. Everybody has to experience this unique blend of bullet hell, roguelike and Castlevania.

The Wolf Among Us shines thanks to great achievements by the voice actors, a color pallet that jumps out at its viewers and twists that grab you by the throat and refuse to let go. The fairy tale figures are portrayed so realistically, that you can’t do anything but let yourself get submerged in the unusual, American subculture of Fabletown.

Quotation forthcoming.

99 Bricks: Wizard Academy is sympathetic, addicting and challenging. New challenges introduced at the right times intelligently show how much depth the simple ‘build-a-tower-Tetris-game’ can have.

If you are searching for an accessibly stylish and entertaining hack 'n slash, DmC: Devil May Cry is still that great game it used to be, but visually much more attractive. If you are familiar with the game, this re-release still offers great things like a changeable difficulty setting to make your experience an unforgettable one.

NBA 2K15 offers nearly perfect gameplay and thankfully the realistic graphics of NBA 2K are here to stay. Lots of improvement on the different modes as well. NBA 2K15 is a basketball game to love, but the servers are not making the relationship go smoothly.

This special Kickstarter project, which spanned five episodes over seven years, comes to an end. This point-and-click sequence is bursting at the seams with creativity and strange happenings. There is no better writing in video games.

The Phantom Thieves did not just steal the hearts of their targets: also our hearts are stolen. The new cast, carefully designed dungeons and tweaks on the existing mechanics make Persona 5 the best game in the franchise.

Super Meat Boy is a big, scary game but serves its challenges in sweet portions. The fact that you can die anywhere, anytime makes this a good challenge, but the balanced controls ensure there's no frustration involved.