Persona 5 Royal improves on the original in almost countless ways, big and small, to deliver a top-notch RPG for new and old fans alike.

With enhanced graphics and modern controls, Metroid Prime is well worth playing (or replaying) on the Switch.

Almost nothing compares to Elden Ring in quality and depth. This is a game everyone should try at least once if only to get lost in the Lands Between.

It’s a satisfying conclusion to the modern God of War saga, but it’s hard to walk away and not feel like this could have been something greater.

An emotional rollercoaster that doesn't always hit the mark with what it tries to pull off. It does, however, provide enough amazing highs to outweigh its unfortunate lows.

Half-Life: Alyx picks up the baton and carries it much further than anybody ever expected of a VR title, let alone a "spin-off" title that isn't technically Half-Life 3. In short, Half-Life: Alyx is here, and it's the real deal. And while I can see myself replaying it many times in the near future, the only question I have now is: "What's next?"

Hades is everything great about the roguelite genre all but perfected. Few games aim as high, and fewer still reach their goals. Hades does, exceeding even the loftiest expectations.

Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth is a masterclass in modernizing one of the most important games ever made, even if its reach sometimes exceeds its grasp.

I went into Forza Horizon 5 expecting a pretty racing game. What I got was an experience, a splendid open-world car exploration simulator with light RPG elements and a trunk full of things to do and see. While I’d like to see Playground try something new or perhaps break free from the existing formula next time, this is a clear candidate for 2021’s best game and a must-play, whether you have Game Pass or not.

For every great thing Street Fighter 6 does — and there’s a lot of them — there’s some flaw, some annoyance, or a ridiculous microtransaction system. If you’re looking for a 2D fighting game to play online or with your friends, Street Fighter 6 is one of the best around. But almost everything around the fighting itself is flawed in a way it probably shouldn’t be. The fight is all, but we shouldn’t have to deal with all of this other stuff to enjoy it.

All that is to say that if you like Elden Ring even a little bit, even after hundreds of hours or a single playthrough, you should get Shadow of the Erdtree. It takes everything that worked about the main game, improves it, and addresses some of the main complaints players had. It’s still very much more Elden Ring, but also the best version of Elden Ring, free of much of the bloat massive open worlds require, reimagined as a focused experience with a distinct narrative throughline and plenty of smaller but no less important side stories worth enjoying. Shadow of the Erdtree is the complete package, bigger and better built than most full games, and the only way to end the story of Elden Ring is on the highest note imaginable.

Demon's Souls is an instant classic, one of those rare retellings that stands triumphantly alongside the original as an essential experience. Indeed, the return of such an indelible classic on the PlayStation 5 is perhaps more than fans could have ever hoped for.

Dragon Quest XI Definitive Edition makes one of the most joyous and downright wonderful gaming experiences of all time even better. It's a game unashamed to be a video game, and it's one that embraces its roots in a charming, beautiful way. It's unashamedly jolly and light, but most importantly, it's comforting.

The Resident Evil 4 remake is a tighter, more engaging version of the 2005 original. On the surface, the game still resembles its original form much more than something like Final Fantasy 7 Remake or even 2019’s re-imagination of Resident Evil 2. But what we’ve got with Resident Evil 4 is a kind of remake we haven’t seen from Capcom in quite some time.

Crusader Kings 3 is the best looking and most accessible the series has ever been.

The latest Animal Crossing is also the best, full of life, charm, and near-endless ways to make your very own island paradise.

Rogue Legacy 2 is a worthy sequel that improves upon almost every aspect of the original, adding a wide array of new classes, abilities, and content.

Do I think The Last of Us 2 Remastered is worth it? Absolutely. At $10, it’s a no-brainer if you want to revisit TLoU2 on PlayStation 5. No Return is the most fun I've had with the game's stealth-action mechanics yet, and the DualSense haptics add depth to gameplay and cutscenes, putting tension on bow strings and adding physical context to dialogue through vibrations. If you’ve never played TLoU2 but have been waiting for the best version of it, this is it, despite the frame drop issues and the limited Making Of content. No Return is worth the price of admission alone.

This is an outstanding return for the King of Iron Fist Tournament. While I have my critiques, they come from someone whose fondest early gaming memories are button-mashing through Tekken 3. I want character customization to be at its best because that’s been one of my favorite features since it was added. I want the stories to hit harder because, as crazy as they are, the characters deserve it. At the end of the day though, none of those negatives are related to the core gameplay. Proper working rollback netcode, crossplay across all platforms, and aggressive Heat Mechanics are what will keep me playing whenever I can. Tekken 8 is pure fun — and that’s what’s most important to me.

It's as great as most people say it is. There's not a conversation I want to skip, not a companion I want to ignore, and really not a single mission I want to decline. Mass Effect is the ultimate RPG. When so many of your actions affect the future of not just you and your friends, but potentially the entire universe, there's a great deal of responsibility on BioWare to deliver outcomes that feel worth one's time. Even acknowledging its final scene is notoriously polarizing, and you may come down harder on it than I do. Either way, the journey is well worth your time.

Trails from Zero might be missing a few features it could, and maybe even should, have had, but if you've never played it before, don't let that hold you back from giving it a try. This decade-old RPG lost none of its potency as time wore on and remains an essential experience. In short, Zero is a remarkable feat of RPG storytelling and worldbuilding; even 12 years after its original release, little else like it exists.

Yakuza: Like A Dragon isn't just a great Yakuza title — it's legitimately one of the best modern role-playing games there is. If this is your first foray into the Yakuza series, Yakuza: Like A Dragon provides an ideal starting point. If you're a long-time fan of the Yakuza franchise, you're about to find your new favorite entry.

Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition makes one of the best RPGs even better, despite not spreading its improvements evenly over the whole package.

It Takes Two is the culmination of a decade of novel co op gaming ideas, and that makes it one of 2021's best games no matter what else comes out.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 has its fair share of rough edges, but look closer, and you'll find a world full of possibility and hope wrapped in a gripping narrative and remarkable combat.

With some of the cleverest level designs and a boundless sense of joy, Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury is essential playing for any Mario fan. Super Mario 3D World might be almost eight years old, but time hasn't dulled this cat's claws. And while Bowser's Fury is short, it's full of so much potential for Mario's future, making this the most easily recommended port-and-repackage of the Switch's lifecycle so far.

Phantom Liberty is Cyberpunk 2077 at its best. All in all, I was very impressed by both Phantom Liberty and the 2.0 update to Cyberpunk 2077. Do they revolutionize the game or make it the second coming of heaven we all expected back in 2020? No, not even close. Are they going to change people’s minds about the game? Absolutely not. But if you enjoyed the base game even a little bit, I can wholeheartedly recommend Phantom Liberty‘s price tag.

Intergrade's Episode Yuffie may be short, but it's a significant step up in Remake's storytelling and renews my faith in the remaining chapters.