On one hand, Dreams is a bottomless bag filled with toys, vignettes, and indie games. On the other, Dreams is a must-own for anyone who's ever been curious about game design.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 makes good on its promise of revitalizing a legendary franchise, but it's modern twists aren't all clean landed.

It plays well, it’s got a lot to say and it’s toying with its own narrative in unique, fascinating ways. We’ll be talking about Alan Wake 2 for years to come.

Disco Elysium’s expanded edition successfully builds upon an already excellent RPG, making it just as relevant today as it was in 2019.

Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition makes a great game even better with a new character, new modes, and overhauled visuals for next-gen consoles.

The 2013 release of The Last of Us was highly influential. The brilliantly-written-and- performed story is as good as ever in The Last of Us Part 1, and the introduction of dozens of new accessibility features should be celebrated and emulated. The visual quality is staggering, bringing the emotional highs and lows of The Last of Us to the fore more than ever. Unfortunately, the gameplay that was passable in 2013 isn't good by today's standards. Calling a game that hasn't improved on a fundamental level a "remake" is a stretch. TLoU Part 1 is for super fans of the series or those who missed the first two versions, especially for accessibility reasons. For everyone else, it's hard to recommend spending the 15 or so hours it takes to play through The Last of Us yet again.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps is another triumph return for the series — a beautiful game with only the smallest blemishes to its luster.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is an exemplary PS5 game, showing full well what the system is capable of — all while masterfully reviving a beloved series for the new generation.

Deathloop takes elements from games like Bioshock and Dishonored, combining them with a Groundhogs Day like timeloop to create the coolest, most stylish, and best game of the year.

Overall, puzzler fans will find a lot to love with The Talos Principle 2. It’s thoughtful, hopeful, and adventurous with both its puzzles and its narrative. With new companions and mechanics, it expands upon the experience of the original. Additionally, it pushes its design with the same imagination that it encourages you to use all throughout. Perhaps the best thing of all is you don’t need to be a puzzling genius to enjoy this game. All you need is a little curiosity.

Metroid finally returns with a new sequel, and it’s exactly what we expect from the series. It’s a fine return to form for Samus with a huge world to explore but definitely doesn’t reinvent the wheel.

Monster Hunter Rise does more than rise to the occasion: it utterly outdoes itself. Monster Hunter Rise as it stands might be one of the easiest games in the series, but it's also one of the most flexible and ultimately satisfying in each and every regard, and for that, it deserves full marks.

Doom Eternal absolutely delivers on all-fronts by blasting us with one of the most intense and satisfying single-player shooter campaigns in years.

Before I Forget is a highly emotive tale about one woman’s struggle with dementia, and a story that everyone should experience. I’ve never experienced anything like Before I Forget, and I strongly urge everyone to play it.

The Nioh Collection brings two of the most satisfying last-gen games to next-gen, offering improvements both new and returning players are sure to love. If you’re looking for a new game to beat you into submission before you learn its secrets, and you want to play the best version of it, pick up the Nioh Collection. It will hurt, but you’ll get so much more in return.

I love almost everything about it, so much so that I struggle to find the words to do it the justice I believe it deserves...While it still has minor technical issues, they never got in the way of Remake ramming its fingers into my nostrils and dragging me face-first through one of the deepest, most satisfying, and most downright engulfing Japanese RPG campaigns I've ever experienced.

Overall, Sea of Stars is a phenomenal entry into the turn-based RPG genre. The story vastly expands on the world first introduced in The Messenger. It’s gripping through all aspects of gameplay, from the characters to the areas you explore. It does have its detriments, but those are far outshined by the overall experience presented. It’s a solid game with hours of content to entertain you with.

Guilty Gear Strive is the perfect time to get into this amazing series. It’s more accessible than ever and absolutely stunning to watch. There’s still room for improvement in terms of the single-player modes, and the whole retro online matching setup is quaint but just adds unnecessary complication to the multiplayer. Otherwise, this is a solid fighting game worth playing.

A perfect entry point for newcomers, and a delightful return for experienced players.

My tastes have changed over the years, and I neglected certain franchise titles in that time. However, despite its missteps, I can wholeheartedly say Final Fantasy 16 managed to bring together in one title the things I loved about the earlier series’ entries, all while making most of the experience fresh and entertaining. The grim-dark tone, spectacular “kaiju battles,” and grandiose transformations with over-the-top action kept me entertained.

Psychonauts 2 is brilliant. It's one of the most creative experiences released in recent years, if not in the last console generation. Sure, it could push platforming boundaries a bit more or distance itself further from the genre's shortcomings, but it's a set of minor annoyances in what's otherwise a sensitive and splendid odyssey.

Hitman 3 brings to a close one of gaming's great trilogies with one last display of immaculate level design and intoxicating mood from IO Interactive. Hitman 3 feels like the culmination of years of work for IO Interactive.

Theatrhythm Final Bar Line is one of the finest rhythm games of all time. Even if you don’t have a special attachment to the Final Fantasy series, you’re still bound to connect with this game on some level. It’s impossible not to with some of the most iconic, exciting, and evocative songs in all of gaming. It helps that such memorable tracks are backed up by the franchise's most engaging and complex gameplay to date.

The Dead Space remake fixes a lot of the 2008 original's problems, but leaves a couple of big ones right where they were.

Control was one of 2019's best games, with the only pervasive issue being that consoles couldn't always run the ambitious game so well. That's all changed. Its upgrades are apparent and fit perfectly for the game's lightning-quick gunplay and gorgeous world. And if you missed the game or any of its DLCs until now, then you should absolutely start here for the complete, most impressive version of the best games in recent years.

Tales of Arise heralds a brilliant new dawn for the series and is one of the best RPGs of the last generation.

I can't imagine any of Hi-Fi RUSH getting old. It's so vibrant, so full of life, and so unique. It stands out in a world where many AAA releases seem determined to be anything but. Add in the replay value of chasing high scores and Rhythm Tower, which functions a lot like Devil May Cry's Bloody Palace mode, and this is a game that you can play for a long time.

If you’re looking for a fast-paced, highly customizable, punishing but fun mech action game, there’s no other game on the market I can recommend more than Armored Core 6. Its few foibles are easy enough for me to forgive, and if you can break through some of its early walls, I guarantee you will find a magical experience unlike anything else on the market right now.