Phoenix Wright's return to the courtroom brings with it an impressive blend of comedic sensibilities and philosophical examinations that make you question how any judicial system can determine guilt when the relationships people have with the truth are so complicated.

I truly loved my experience playing Live A Live. The gameplay and narrative variety, incredible visuals, and superb soundtrack kept me enthralled throughout my 30-hour journey. I still feel like the game has a few secrets and little story bits I may have overlooked. It's quite the accomplishment that, almost 30 years later, Live A Live still manages to surprise, subvert, and enthrall. Those timeless qualities make it well worth your attention, now and likely for years to come.

Konami has still put together a comprehensive bundle, collecting five highly influential games (and multiple variations) from a period spanning 24 years. There are other ways to play these games, but I think we often undersell the appeal of convenience. Being able to easily access them all on a modern console is a major selling point. For someone like me, who only ever owned the original games on their original consoles, Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 is indispensable. It's disappointing that there aren't any optional visual improvements or behind-the-scenes material, and the lack of a central hub makes the bundle feel scattershot. The bonus content that is here is simply a cherry on top, however, lending the entire package a sense of reverence for one of the most important series in video game history.

Roundabout works well as a short chunk of oddbeat humor and arcade-like gameplay. It's unapologetic in its goofiness, and it tells a fun story on top of its relatively unique gameplay. Sure, you can draw comparisons to the games that inspired it, but when was the last time you played an absurdist 1970s limousine game that was this much fun?

Deadfire is dense, and it isn't a small game, easily dwarfing its predecessor in terms of scale. There's a lot to do, and it's easier than ever to get lost in the little stories you find, without following the arcs that the game has specially set out for you. Still, it's worth taking your time. The richness of Deadfire takes a while to appreciate, and like the brined sailors that call it come, you'll be left with an indelible attachment to these islands when you do finally step away.

It doesn't break much new ground, and it's not as polished as it should be, but it offers loads of thrilling, old-school shooter action.

Explosive combat and terrific controls make Renegade Ops a great vehicular dual-stick shooter.

Cheery aesthetics and unique puzzle elements make this a wild underground adventure.

This is an incredibly deep medieval kingdom simulation, and it's the closest to actually being able to put you in the ruling seat of a feudal land.

UFC Undisputed 3 raises the bar for MMA games and is harder to put down than a heavyweight champ.

Grounded isn't the biggest game of its kind, and most of its moment-to-moment gameplay moments have been seen before in other games. Still, the fantastical setup makes for an immediately intriguing setup, and to further stylize it as a uniquely child-like adventure, polish it beyond most of its peers, and set it in a world full of familiar sights to see in startling new ways makes Grounded no small feat.

Furi lures you in with a cool lead character and a powerful soundtrack--qualities that are easy to appreciate--but its the journey to become a better fighter that defines the experience.

Explosive combat and terrific controls make Renegade Ops a great vehicular dual-stick shooter.

A great sense of wonder permeates The Book of Unwritten Tales, a terrific take on a traditional point-and-click adventure.

Everyday Shooter is an intensely creative and challenging take on the dual-stick shooter genre.

Like the best MMA fighters, UFC Undisputed 3 is well-rounded and impresses in a lot of different areas. It improves upon its predecessors at practically every opportunity and, for the moment, is the undisputed champion of MMA video games.

With a few friends, Towerfall Ascension is a fantastic multiplayer game that offers a ton of variations on its enjoyable archery combat. Just make sure those friends can join you on the couch.

Riders Republic is a thrilling, approachable, and incredibly varied extreme sports game, featuring an awe-inspiring open world that impresses with both its scale and diversity. There's nothing else quite like it, and while it's too talkative for its own good, there's a sprightly energy to the whole thing that makes it easy to recommend for anyone seeking an exciting adventure.

It's true that Fallen Order borrows liberally from other action games, but those elements work together with Respawn's combat and environment design, and a story that finds humanity in the Force and in its characters, to hone in on what makes the world of Star Wars worthy of revisiting again and again. Even with some rough edges, Fallen Order represents one of the most compelling game additions to the Star Wars franchise in years.

Bit.Trip Complete expertly presents the Bit.Trip games with a complement of changes that make it easier than ever to enjoy this remarkable series.

Though zombies mode is stagnating and the novel new social features are a flop, the rest of Black Ops II is lively and entertaining, and it's great to see some shifting in the familiar structure.

Treachery in Beatdown City uses humor skillfully as a tool to deal with contemporary issues with the gig economy, insidious tech company ploys, and obnoxious bigots. It has some lulls and a bit of an abrupt conclusion, but that’s overshadowed by how especially fun the conversations and combat are. The mechanics stand out and push against the standards of the brawler genre, injecting a strong tactics twist that lets you make some freestyle combos in the blink of an eye. In the end it was a short, satisfying playthrough that maintained its action movie aura the entire time. Treachery in Beatdown City is all about fighting, but it shines because at its core it’s about fighting back.

It’s a delightfully frantic game that rewards quick wits and strategy above mastering complex controls, and truly shines when you have three friends in arm’s reach to pit those talents against.

While its lack of challenge may lull fans, its ease of use will delight newcomers and draw in anyone who appreciates a touch of magic.

The Blazkowicz sisters steal the show in a bite-sized co-op FPS spin-off that packs a hell of a punch, further invigorating the Wolfenstein franchise.

Closure introduces intriguing puzzle-solving mechanics in an oppressive world, creating a cerebral and moody adventure.

Caught between striving for the future and remaining rooted in the past, Black Ops II finds solid footing, providing another great ride on the Call of Duty rollercoaster.

Pikuniku is a funny game on numerous levels--the script often undercuts tension and plays with tropes in amusing ways, the goofy way you flip when you jump is a constant source of amusement, and the game will often throw you into strange situations without much explanation.

Zeit Squared's clever mechanics combine to create a unique and satisfying shoot-'em-up.

In a sense, Crusader Kings 3 is all over the place. It doesn't always work perfectly, and at times it really makes you work for it, but there's something amazing in that any of it works at all. Strategy games can tell interesting stories as their empires rise and fall, but their procedural narratives are rarely as affecting and poignant as they are here.

A solid collection of games that are still just as playable as they were when they were first released many years ago.

Even if it takes a camera or a mobile device to fully come together, Tearaway Unfolded is a smart, slick reimagining of Media Molecule’s underappreciated gem. The innovative methods by which you can twist, turn, and bend the colorful paper world provide interesting new challenges to wrap your head around, and the already beautiful world has an even bigger allure on the PlayStation 4. It’s just plain fun.

This slick and fun strategy sequel bridges the gap between complexity and accessibility.

While Pikuniku is a light experience, it's got enough charm and verve to stick with you well beyond completion. From Piku's weird wobbly gait and looping jumps in the opening right through to the game's funny, bizarre ending, Pikuniku is more gripping than its simple aesthetic and playful tone would suggest. It'll make you feel like a kid again.

The gorgeous city of Constantinople takes center stage in Assassin's Creed: Revelations, another great historical adventure.

The game's graphical prowess and arcade-perfect gameplay combined with its cache of bonus modes makes Street Fighter Alpha 3 the latest standard for 2D excellence on the PlayStation.

Combines gorgeous artistic design with enticing combat to create a memorable adventure.

Driver: San Francisco's inspired shift mechanic and wealth of action-packed content make it an absolute blast that revives the franchise.

The extra mode certainly sweetens the pot for those who owned Bowser's Inside Story on DS, but fundamentally, it's the same game. If anything, the real drawback is the game coming off as an unnecessary surprise on the 3DS--which can already play the original game via backward compatibility. But the game itself remains one of Mario's RPG best, and it's a cheerful, inventive journey.

The fact that it's so tempting to spend time creating these paper models is a testament to how appealing and attractive Tearaway is. It's just a shame that one of the Vita's best experiences feels as long as a piece of paper is thick.

The Sexy Brutale's puzzles are fun enough, though they’re never precisely challenging. Instead, the game is likely best understood as an interactive art piece. Seen as such, it succeeds on almost all fronts. There's dramatic tension as you discover each of the gruesome ways your fellow guests meet their end in ever more fascinating wings of the mansion, and there's a dark commentary on the banality of death as you grow accustomed to using the sounds associated with specific murders in distant rooms as a form of a timer. Over and over again, The Sexy Brutale hammers home the brutal truth that you just can't save everyone.

With a multitude of elements that let it transcend that narrow and often underrated genre, racing fans and those simply seeking a wild, entertaining experience would do well to check it out.

Revisiting Octopath Traveler on PC has been a treat, not the least of all because of the available graphics settings that let you tweak the game's iconic hybrid visuals. This is an obvious feature in most PC games, but Octopath's mix of retro pixel art and modern post-processing effects are unlike most games. With one foot in the past and another in the present, adjusting resolution, textures, and lighting effects lets you dictate, to a point, which half of its aesthetic identity is most prominent. It's not a game changer, but it is an appreciated option that gives the PC version a slight edge over the Switch original.

Zeit Squared's clever mechanics combine to create a unique and satisfying shoot-'em-up.

It should satisfy players who don't care about all the miscellaneous nuances of the sport, or who aren't looking to immerse themselves in a complicated franchise mode.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD is a loving restoration of a bold and beautiful adventure, with Nintendo shifting some elements of the original game's aesthetic, and streamlining the pace where it had occasionally sagged.

Learning the skills and vocabulary of the game gives you the confidence to risk chaining large combos, and it’s at this level where you can experience Downwell's most exhilarating moments again and again.

The DS version of this great tower defense game can be a little confusing but is a lot of fun to play both solo and competitively.

Planet Robobot's meager difficulty may feel like a turn off at times, but it's not a reason to write it off. Once you spend time sampling the large selection of powers in each stage, taking in the detailed visuals, the catchy soundtrack, and exploring the wealth of extra modes on hand, you are so focused on the game's pervasive charm that you're looking forward to the next delightful surprise, rather than praying for a grueling test of skill. Planet Robobot is another great feather in Kirby's cap that shouldn't be overlooked.

It's a shame that these intricacies were tempered by unnecessary simplification and unfocused storytelling. Nevertheless, Dragon Age II makes a strong impression, pulling you through with the promise of another fun quest, another character to meet, and another beast to slay.

The fast and flashy dual-stick shooting of Galaga Legions DX makes it fun to blast space bugs all over again.

The important thing is that Untitled Goose Game is a hoot. It's a comedy game that focuses on making the act of playing it funny, rather than simply being a game that features jokes. Wishing that it was longer speaks to how much fun I had with it. There's nothing else quite like Untitled Goose Game; it's charming and cute despite being mean, and both very silly and very clever. It's also probably the best non-racing game ever to feature a dedicated "honk" button.

This slow-starting strategy game is deliciously destructible once you learn the ropes.

It's a shame that these intricacies were tempered by unnecessary simplification and unfocused storytelling. Nevertheless, Dragon Age II makes a strong impression, pulling you through with the promise of another fun quest, another character to meet, and another beast to slay.

Career mode is still a mixed bag, then, but it's reassuring that EA has made some additional moves to try and freshen it up. If you do grow tired of simming through training sessions and managing sharpness, FIFA 21 is still chock full of other stuff to do, whether you want to head to the streets of Paris to show off your skills, hop into Ultimate Team with a friend, or play through a season on Pro Clubs. This is a substantial package that's propped up by exciting gameplay that puts the onus squarely on attacking football. There are moments of frustration on defense when the balance doesn't feel quite right, but then you'll go down the other end and score a Puskás Award contender that makes you forget why you were mad in the first place.

The Adventures of Shuggy is a cute platform puzzler that pushes the envelope with a deluge of gameplay ideas.

The important thing is that Untitled Goose Game is a hoot. It's a comedy game that focuses on making the act of playing it funny, rather than simply being a game that features jokes. Wishing that it was longer speaks to how much fun I had with it. There's nothing else quite like Untitled Goose Game; it's charming and cute despite being mean, and both very silly and very clever. It's also probably the best non-racing game ever to feature a dedicated "honk" button.

Namco may have had to cut a few corners to fit the 3D fighter onto Nintendo's handheld, but the end product looks and feels enough like the original game to succeed.

Overall, though, Horizon Forbidden West does a lot more right than it does wrong. It might be jam-packed with stuff to see, do, know, and remember, but when its many systems come together, it can be a beautiful, exciting, and delightful open-world experience. The story that drives you through the frontier is often well-told and does well to center actual characters rather than audio logs, and while the map is littered with icons, it's much more often that they're fun, skillfully crafted diversions than random busywork to fill a checklist. There's a huge amount to do and see in Horizon Forbidden West, and the great majority of it is worth doing and seeing thanks to strong writing, great visuals, and some marked improvements to the series' underlying ideas.

Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus doesn't entirely break from the series' classic roots, but its focus on action over platforming makes it a fast-paced thrill ride, and the short length makes running through it again with Omega weapons in Challenge Mode irresistible.

Mario Kart 7 features the best racing yet in the franchise, though it takes a step back in other areas.

It's a wonderful arcade experience that not only demands both precision and speed, but has the tight controls necessary to make both possible.

High Treason ratchets up the cool gameplay and techno-thriller storytelling that was introduced in Act of War.

It's a shame that these intricacies were tempered by unnecessary simplification and unfocused storytelling. Nevertheless, Dragon Age II makes a strong impression, pulling you through with the promise of another fun quest, another character to meet, and another beast to slay.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond sometimes feels like a product of its notoriously long and troubled development. At moments it serves as a time capsule for gaming trends that have come and gone over the last decade, like a sparse open world and a squad shooter with AI teammates. Those elements are decently made, but not as expertly crafted as the more traditional Metroid Prime exploration and storytelling. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is uneven and messy in some respects, but at its best it meets or exceeds the best moments the series has to offer.

Black Myth: Wukong is an uneven game where the highlights often outnumber the lowlights. Its triumphant boss battles and fast-paced combat make up for the stale moments in between, where bland level design and a scarcity of enemies will have you clamoring for the next face-off with a deadly Yaoguai. I appreciate that it's not just another souls-like in what is now a crowded genre, and the choice to go for a boss gauntlet is unexpected and, honestly, quite refreshing. It's disappointing that it falters outside of its cinematic clashes against mighty beasts, but designing this many rousing boss battles while avoiding a sense of fatigue is no mean feat and deserves praise.

With just a bit more variety to its tracks and a slightly better career mode, it definitely could have been better, but it has great graphics, solid sound, and the sort of easy learning curve that makes it a driving game that anyone can excel at.

Harry's adventure into Lego land is exactly what you'd want it to be: charming, fun, and chock-full of secrets.

Marvel Rivals feels like the first hero shooter since Overwatch launched in 2015 to fully capture the magic of the genre. It offers a ton of heroes to play with, a great visual style, and a focus on making the game fun for everyone. While it does lift directly from Overwatch, its more original ideas make it feel fresh in the space. Marvel Rivals is a great multiplayer shooter in its early days, and if it can deliver on future updates, it could remain one for years to come.

Sundered is an enjoyable journey that iterates upon the Metroidvania style in ways that are both satisfying and substantial. Its progression systems are constantly fulfilling and combat is complex and exhilarating. While rare moments of unfair circumstances hold it back, Sundered remains a compelling and rewarding experience that you’ll be eager to play again, if only to seek out its other endings or to simply to wipe out another swarm of grotesque creatures.

This aquatic arcade racer is fun, fast-paced, and features fantastically varied courses to compete on.

After Dark may not be a revolutionary addition to Cities: Skylines, but the number of impressive new features and enhancements offered here is more than good enough to get my vote again.

Samurai Gunn revels in its own simplicity.

Those exhausted with puzzle-genre conventions will find Exit to be a fun and inventive brainteaser with a wonderful sense of style.

PES 12 may lack new modes, but substantial improvements to its AI, speed, and controls make it an exciting football game that's a lot of fun to play.

For almost a decade, Capcom has been refining Resident Evil, finding ways to modernize the storied franchise and to maintain what has made it so beloved. With Requiem, Capcom has dialed in Resident Evil maybe as far as it can. The result is a game that leans too hard on past successes and nostalgia, and so doesn't show its fans any new ideas. But it knows its hits backward and forward, and it plays them near-perfectly.

Where its characters fail to impress, Final Fantasy XV's beautiful world and exciting challenges save the day.

It's not the revelation that last year's debut was, but Madden NFL 08 is a worthy follow-up and a fun game in its own right.

This fascinating hybrid of real-time strategy and collectible card battling offers a unique and enjoyable take on both genres.

Galactic Civilizations keeps its focus right where it needs to--on excellent fundamentals. Progressive pacing makes the enormity of space amenable and paradoxically personal, while the sheer number and variety of tools and options at your disposal allow you to succeed and win if you can out-think everyone else.

Despite its strong connection to past games, Assassin's Creed Valhalla is more than capable of standing on its own. It takes a little while to build momentum, but when it hits its stride, Valhalla is a confident Assassin's Creed title that takes a few narrative risks which, as a whole, pay off. Eivor is a good hero with an identity that drives the mystery behind the main narrative, and she shines in the self-contained arc structure of Valhalla's story. The supporting cast may not shine as brightly, but it's easy to forgive that when exploring England and discovering new nuggets of worldbuilding is so rewarding.

El Shaddai is such a gorgeous game that it would have been worth playing even if the combat was merely average. But developer Ignition Entertainment gave reasons to play beyond its outstanding visual design. The combat system makes excellent use of its narrow moveset to create an enticing experience that demands focus and determination to prevail.

Sporting an excellent sense of speed and tight controls, Freekstyle is undeniably fun. But its awkward learning curve and sinister AI will test the mettle of even the most ardent players.

Eye of the North is largely more of the same. In this case, that's a terrific thing.

Harry's adventure into Lego land is exactly what you'd want it to be: charming, fun, and chock-full of secrets.

The Inpatient doesn't just do right by Until Dawn, but stands right alongside it as one of the strongest horror experiences on PlayStation 4. It's a game far less concerned with pushing you towards what's lurking down every corridor than feeding you the worst ideas of what could be.

Pandora's Tower is an exciting, chain-swinging race against time to save your beloved from a beastly fate.

Taken as a whole, however, P4AU is a great package. The fighting is solid, there's a lot to keep you occupied in both single-player and multiplayer modes, and the new characters and additions refine a game that was already impressive to begin with.

Harry's adventure into Lego land is exactly what you'd want it to be: charming, fun, and chock-full of secrets.

Snake Eater 3D faithfully recreates the original and introduces many exclusive improvements, making this the best version of the game available.

Colonization is a more focused and linear Civilization experience that nevertheless offers the depth and rewards of the classic strategy series.

Invigorating movement mechanics and solid fundamentals make Tribes: Ascend a lot of free-wheeling fun.

The excellent combat and the almost never-ending quest to explore the compendium of demons should keep you coming back for more, even if you have a fairly good assumption of what the other endings might entail.

Gameplay and hovercraft control remain unchanged. Fortunately, time has been kind to this old gameplay standard, and it is as much fun to play today as it ever was.

It's hard to imagine fans of Final Fantasy not leaping at the chance to reconnect with their memories and some of the most beautiful music from the history of Final Fantasy, and playing Curtain Call is the perfect way to do so.

This slow-starting strategy game is deliciously destructible once you learn the ropes.

The textures, lighting, and color saturation are all slightly worse than on the PlayStation 4 version, but still much better than Xbox 360/PS3. Secondly, though there occasional connectivity issues with the online multiplayer, the majority of our play time was issue-free and full of the immense, chaotic excitement that makes this game shine.

Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 feels perfectly at home on the portable system. It retains all the same game modes, features, and good looks of the previous console versions, but smartly adds a two-player mode, where the sense of teamwork is more palpable and there’s a distinct sense of accomplishment when two players work together to trap a whole string of delicious frightened ghosts for big points.