The double set of "Strider 1" and "2" is an excellent starter kit for the uninitiated, but for veterans of the series, it's like dinner without the dessert.

What is noteworthy about Crown of the Old Iron King is how it conveys a deep sense history without the help of a flashback.

The PC version comes with the usual suite of graphic and control options, and ran smoothly on our test PC built around a GTX 1070.

The settings of Crown of the Old Iron King are both fantastical and relatable, but nowhere near practical. Gigantic suits of armor hang inexplicably under elevator platforms, hinting that humans10 times normal size once protected Drangleic.

Bad Blood introduces new mechanics that fit snugly within an already fully-featured world. It's these qualities that make Bad Blood an essential purchase for Watch Dogs fans.

If you're looking for an exciting, fair, and accessible challenge on the Wii, you should definitely let yourself get sucked into the Bit.Trip Void.

Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom not only pays faithful homage to Wonder Boy, particularly The Dragon's Trap, but by refining the solid foundations of its spiritual predecessors with modern affordances, it becomes a rich platforming adventure in its own right.

Best of all, though, this world is so stunning that you'll just look at the trees, the water, the rocks--everything. It’s a shame that some of the puzzle solutions are needlessly frustrating and present significant obstacles in getting through the story, but aside from that Operencia provides a truly special experience.

The challenging mix of real-time strategy base management and tower-defense strategy found in this slick-looking indie shooter packs serious heat.

Because of its fast pace and relatively simple scope, Starships Unlimited succeeds--it's almost like having "Risk" set in the stars.

What this cerebral horror game does isn't totally new, but it rarely feels routine, and offers plenty of surprises. Coming in at a lengthy and surprisingly packed 15-hour campaign, the sequel does an admirable job of ratcheting up the tension and scares when it needs to, while also giving you the freedom to explore and proceed how you want. It's a tough thing to balance, but The Evil Within 2 does it remarkably well, and in a way that leaves a strong and lasting impression after its touching conclusion.

The Missing is smaller and more mechanically conventional than Deadly Premonition or D4, but its components remain focused on distinctly a Swery game: a dark, idiosyncratic experience that tells a deeply personal story that's as confronting as it is sincere. It is absolutely not for everyone, but as the game reminds us, there is nothing wrong with that.

While Dark Souls Remastered on Switch possesses some odd quirks and isn't as technically impressive as its current-gen counterparts, it still retains the heart of what the original game is all about.

Rage creates an engrossing world full of dazzling detail and entertaining shooter action.

Bad Blood is the furthest thing from a collection of repurposed missions with a character reskin.

Vessel of Hatred acts as a great reentry point for lapsed Diablo 4 players looking for another fix of the dungeon-crawling action that the original release so deftly introduced. The Spiritborn class is as satisfying to command in skirmishes as it is to experiment with, featuring a level of depth that extends beyond all classes before it. Both the Kurast Undercity and the Dark Citadel are captivating additions to the existing (and drastically improved) endgame conten. The expansion is only let down by a middling story that fails to captivate on the setup of the base game and ends with nothing more than a tease for the presumably real conflict to come. Irrespective of that, Diablo 4 didn't need an expansion to uplift it, but Vessel of Hatred certainly delivers on making the entire thing feel fresh again.

Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom not only pays faithful homage to Wonder Boy, particularly The Dragon's Trap, but by refining the solid foundations of its spiritual predecessors with modern affordances, it becomes a rich platforming adventure in its own right.

Rocket Knight is a retro platformer with outstanding gameplay, even if it is overpriced and a little short.

Though it can take a bit to get the hang of it, the intricacies of Doom Eternal's combat, combined with its enhanced mobility and option-heavy level design, create a ton of white-knuckle moments that elevate everything that made Doom 2016 work so well. Its combat is just as quick and chaotic, but requires you to constantly analyze everything that's happening in order to come out victorious. Once you get the hang of the rhythm of Doom Eternal, it'll make you feel like a demon-slaying savant.

Small problems occasionally get in the way, but Fez has such intricate puzzles and enticing aesthetics that it's still an engaging journey.

There's a clear respect for the horror genre in The Evil Within 2, with a number of references to classic films and games. The game channels that style and tone into combat that feels brutal and raw, stealth that has an air of suspense, and unsettling confrontations with dangerous, otherworldly creatures. The Evil Within 2 doubles down on the core of what makes survival horror games great: the focus on disempowerment and obstacles, and the ensuing satisfaction that comes with surviving a harrowing assault.

The Missing is smaller and more mechanically conventional than Deadly Premonition or D4, but its components remain focused on distinctly a Swery game: a dark, idiosyncratic experience that tells a deeply personal story that's as confronting as it is sincere. It is absolutely not for everyone, but as the game reminds us, there is nothing wrong with that.

Hitman 2 is a familiar experience, but in the Hitman world, familiarity is an incredible strength.

Rage is a beautiful game that looks equally stunning with or without the hefty installation (which reduces the load times and is optional on the 360 but required on the PS3), so regardless of which platform you play on, you'll find a rich and rewarding adventure that sets a new visual standard for the postapocalyptic wasteland.

Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom not only pays faithful homage to Wonder Boy, particularly The Dragon's Trap, but by refining the solid foundations of its spiritual predecessors with modern affordances, it becomes a rich platforming adventure in its own right.

More variety, more customization, and better multiplayer make this the best portable Tony Hawk game yet.

Even with everything unlocked and nothing left to work toward, Vampire Crawlers still has its teeth in me, begging me to dive back in and decimate all who stand before me. Since I haven't come close to growing tired of mowing down baddies with the wackiest decks possible, I guess I'll give it just one more run. And then maybe just one more after that.

Solstice Arena is explosive fun, and its short matches quickly entice you into the "just one more game" mentality so common in compelling multiplayer experiences. And though the game is great for the PC, each match's brevity makes Solstice Arena a fantastic choice for gaming on the go.

That the story it tells is so engaging and believable, with wonderfully well-rounded characters, only elevates its exploration of the realities of war, and it manages to successfully elicit a genuine human connection.

This is the quintessential version of FIFA 14. It brings a level of authenticity never before seen in the genre and sets new standards for player control and stadium atmosphere.

Though it can take a bit to get the hang of it, the intricacies of Doom Eternal's combat, combined with its enhanced mobility and option-heavy level design, create a ton of white-knuckle moments that elevate everything that made Doom 2016 work so well. Its combat is just as quick and chaotic, but requires you to constantly analyze everything that's happening in order to come out victorious. Once you get the hang of the rhythm of Doom Eternal, it'll make you feel like a demon-slaying savant.

While the game sometimes feels a little too eager to kill players and lacks local play, with a full troop online, it’s easily one of the best all-out action multiplayer games in recent memory.

Triple Deluxe is an absolute diamond of a game, and cements Kirby's place as nothing less than a bone fide platforming superstar.

Excitebots takes speedy racing and injects it with crazy stunts and wacky minigames. The result is riotously fun.

Innovating within the bounds of horror's familiar tropes and rules is a difficult task, but one that The Evil Within 2 handles with grace. Developer Tango Gameworks cleverly introduces old-school horror design within the confines of a semi-open world that ultimately makes for a refreshing trip into a world of nightmares.

The faltering plot twist doesn't detract from the overall experience. The Missing is smaller and more mechanically conventional than Deadly Premonition or D4, but its components remain focused on distinctly a Swery game: a dark, idiosyncratic experience that tells a deeply personal story that's as confronting as it is sincere.

With a well-realized world filled to the brim with secrets and excellent platforming mechanics that always keeps things interesting, the Cursed Kingdom is a place you will want to discover every corner of.

FIFA 14 for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One is a step above it's peers. Whether you're scoring in front of a screaming Kop or eking out an unlikely cup victory, FIFA 14 produces special moments that will live in your memory long after you've put the controller down.

Though it can take a bit to get the hang of it, the intricacies of Doom Eternal's combat, combined with its enhanced mobility and option-heavy level design, create a ton of white-knuckle moments that elevate everything that made Doom 2016 work so well. Its combat is just as quick and chaotic, but requires you to constantly analyze everything that's happening in order to come out victorious. Once you get the hang of the rhythm of Doom Eternal, it'll make you feel like a demon-slaying savant.

RACE 07 is a charming racing game that won't fail to appeal to enthusiasts. You have to applaud the effort that's gone into making the game authentic but also accessible, and at any level, it is always a joy to play.

Trials Fusion is a great game that not only tests your skill and patience, but keeps you laughing at the ridiculous scenarios.

On its own, no one element of the game would be remarkable, but combined and buoyed by the juicy story and the excellent cast, they make Yakuza 4 much more than the sum of its parts.

Panzer Corps is a great turn-based strategic wargame that captures Panzer General's deep and involving classic gameplay.

The faltering plot twist doesn't detract from the overall experience. The Missing is smaller and more mechanically conventional than Deadly Premonition or D4, but its components remain focused on distinctly a Swery game: a dark, idiosyncratic experience that tells a deeply personal story that's as confronting as it is sincere.

It's easily the best Monster Hunter game so far, and while it would be nice to see a console sequel with more up-to-date visuals and all-new locations, Ultimate is an great entry into the Wii U catalog.

Hitman 2 is a familiar experience, but in the Hitman world, familiarity is an incredible strength.

West of Loathing's visuals are monochromatic, but there's enjoyable comedy painted between every line, a pitch-perfect Spaghetti Western soundtrack, and a full spectrum of role-playing possibilities to choose from that make it a consistently enjoyable madcap cowboy jaunt.

A host of gameplay tweaks counterbalance some neglected modes in the latest iteration of EA Sports' college football sim.

Once Upon a Katamari is still a fantastic time and the new must-play title in the series. It manages to perfectly capture what has always made Katamari so charming and special--the writing, the humor, the music, the absurdity of it all--and refines it into the best way to experience the series, regardless of if it's your first time playing or if you're a long-time fan. Though it seems absurd to claim I wanted Bandai Namco to commit even more to the bit with this game, more intention and innovation is all that keeps Once Upon a Katamari from being truly great. Regardless, it's still a wonderful--and much-welcomed--return to the world of Katamari.

Highly playable and cleverly designed.

Intake is a spectacularly minimal game that contains a staggering amount of complexity with just a handful of straightforward concepts.

West of Loathing's visuals are monochromatic, but there's enjoyable comedy painted between every line, a pitch-perfect Spaghetti Western soundtrack, and a full spectrum of role-playing possibilities to choose from that make it a consistently enjoyable madcap cowboy jaunt.

Final Fantasy IV's gripping story and fast-paced combat make this sizeable collection fun from start to finish.

Ultimately, Duskers is about allowing yourself to believe that you're really sitting on a rickety old space ship, with only drones for friends. You're alone, but not without hope. You may not conquer the universe, but you'll eventually learn how to survive it.

It's not often that a game invades my thoughts the way Control has. I'm at the point where I want to consume every last thing it has to offer. And if I'm honest, it also makes me want to go back and replay Remedy's past games, too. Sure, it's a faulty metroidvania in some respects, but there are so many exceptional qualities afoot that Control handily deflects any momentary ire. I can't wait to take part in discussions about the game, to see what others have figured out, and to better understand where it all fits into Jesse's story.

No matter how many parties you have going on on your Wii already, this is one that you don't want to miss.

Class flexibility, a solid infrastructure, and an element of unpredictability keep Rift from feeling like just another online fantasy game.

The first act is just brilliant. Not only is the core card game at its best, but it's also where those mechanics are best served by the richly atmospheric trappings surrounding them. The following two acts admirably offer new twists on the mechanics and a different perspective on the narrative, but neither prove as satisfying as the original. Alone, Act 1 is one of the best games of the year, but everything that comes after drags it back into the pack.

After feeling like the series was treading water for the past couple of years, MLB The Show 23 sees Sony San Diego introduce some significant additions to its baseball sim. Road to the Show has still been neglected, but incremental gameplay improvements slightly enhance the on-field action, and Franchise has received a long-overdue shot in the arm with its expanded scouting system. The new seasonal structure to Diamond Dynasty should also make for a more interesting mode throughout the course of the year, and Storylines: The Negro Leagues is worth the price of admission alone. It may not move the needle in every area, but MLB The Show 23 is another deep sports title that will keep you busy long into October and beyond.

OlliOlli World is the kind of game that gets into your head and causes you to push yourself for just one more run or to seek a slightly higher score, and Void Riders continue to scratch that same undeniable itch. Roll7's skating game is full of clever, expertly constructed courses and fun, goofy characters, and Void Riders doesn't skimp on either. It might not bring a huge amount of new things to the game, but just having more great tracks to skate and explore is a worthy addition in its own right.

Pure doesn't blaze many new trails, but this off-road racer still delivers an intense, tricked-out thrill ride.

Mordhau is tough, violent, beautiful, and doesn't pull its punches. Despite an intense learning curve that could be better alleviated with more tutorials or better practice tools, its supreme swordplay and combat mechanics eventually outshine any initial frustration. The scale of battle is overwhelming and chaotic, but there's a definite sense to all the nonsense that, once you uncover it, gives you an incredible rush every time you go toe-to-toe with the enemy--even if you don't come out the other side intact.

This multiplayer-only slice of the Battlefield series packs plenty of thrills into a downloadable package.

Wargroove is a delight to play, and the possibility of an endless supply of content for it is a tantalizing prospect. Chucklefish could have offered up a prettied-up take on Advance Wars with online multiplayer and called it a day. Instead, it's made meaningful improvements that make this both a satisfying answer to starved Advance Wars fans' wishes and a genuinely great experience on its own merits.

Salt and Sanctuary is wholly engrossing from every angle, from its happy marriage of combat and exploration to its ominously gripping art direction.

The combat is fast, frenetic and consistently challenging, although that challenge can sometimes feel impossible without stepping back and grinding out some progress elsewhere, which quickly gets frustrating. Thankfully the core of the game--its combat, trading, and space flight--are all superb and had me launching into the stars for many hours of galactic trading and explosive firefights.

Those qualities are part and parcel of this being an expansion to Dead Cells. It retains its own core identity, so the smaller randomized biomes and lack of shortcuts are just part of its nature. Those don't feel especially reminiscent of Castlevania, but the whole expansion is imbued with Castlevania flavor. Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania is a smart, frenetic fusion of a modern action-roguelike and classic gaming royalty.

Super Meat Boy Forever makes some big mechanical changes but maintains its predecessor's reputation as one of gaming's toughest, most satisfying platforming challenges.

Seeing Reanimal through in one sitting made me feel like I'd accompanied the siblings on their journey, holding their tiny, innocent hands as they uncovered horrors beyond comprehension. The conclusion of Reanimal leaves the door open for further explanation, so the incoming DLC for the game has me genuinely excited. Unfortunately, I am still left with a bunch of questions, and with no release date for the DLC, I'm in a state of purgatory. The imagery and implications linger in my mind much like the siblings' nightmares. While Reanimal is certainly unsettling, it's also quite beautiful. It shines a light on the importance of companionship--while you may face moments of uncertainty, and unsafety, you're not alone. And that's invaluable.

It's still not the most welcoming game for newcomers, stacking systems upon systems upon systems, but for veterans and those willing to put in the effort to learn, there's never been a better time to hop in and entrench yourself in the virtual dugout. Football Manager 2019's tweaks will have you happily settling in for another mammoth play session of juggling egos, pipping your rivals to the signing of a wonderkid, and smashing in a 90th-minute winner to capture a league title in triumphant fashion.

Hitman 2 is a familiar experience, but in the Hitman world, familiarity is an incredible strength.

Streets of Rage 2 stands as one of the most well-crafted beat-'em-ups ever, and it still looks and sounds great and plays beautifully.

Specter of Torment is a finely-crafted 2D platformer that is satisfying in all respects. Simply controlling Specter Knight--flying through the air and slicing through enemies--is a joy in itself, and being able to push your ability to control these skills in overcoming the game's cleverly-designed and challenging levels is always an exhilarating feeling. Specter of Torment is a focussed, polished, and satisfyingly challenging game that's well worth experiencing whether or not you've had the pleasure of playing Shovel Knight.

If you have friends nearby, this is some of the most fun you can have stabbing them through the heart.

Banished reinforces the human drama with its brutal difficulty and negative feedback loops. It's fertile soil for some of the most remarkable emergent storytelling around.

Realistic golf-swing controls and a host of exclusive party games make Tiger Woods 09 on the Wii a great golfing experience.

A great Formula 1 game...On the other hand, it is another one in EA Sports' long-running F1 franchise, and it doesn't offer a whole lot of reasons for those who bought F1 2001 to pick this one up.

Black Ops 4 isn't short on content, and its three main modes are substantial. Multiplayer introduces more tactical mechanics without forcing you into them, and it largely strikes a good balance. Zombies has multiple deep, secret-filled maps to explore, though its returning characters don't hold up and prove distracting. Finally, Blackout pushes Call of Duty in an entirely new direction, making use of aspects from both multiplayer and Zombies for a take on the battle royale genre that stands on its own.

The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe has taken me on a rollercoaster of emotions--I'll be scratching my head in confusion one moment and then staring at my TV dumbfounded, my mouth agape in incredulous bemusement the next. As far as I can tell, there's no unifying mystery to solve here; nor is there any sort of indistinguishable moral lesson that the game is asking me to uncover. What is there, however, is an attractive lure for a thought-provoking experience about video games, and how our reception of them has evolved.

Oxenfree is more than a ghost story with a Freaks and Geeks-like coating. It's a tale of coping with loss, broken relationships, and the inflexibility with which teenagers deal with sudden change, all layered under an alarming paranormal encounter. I left Oxenfree feeling hollow and strained, emotionally spent yet excited to play again and uncover more of the mystery. It doesn't hammer you with platitudes about friendship and loss, but hands you a knot to untangle that rewards you at every success with an emotional gut punch. It doesn't ask you any big questions, and certainly isn't easy in relenting its answers; Oxenfree just is what it is, a big little game about the all-too-human inability to let go of what hurts us.

Before Your Eyes understands that experiencing our lives, of storing memories which become precious, is often tied to what we see: the people and the paths stretching out before us. Instead of feeling like a gimmick, Before Your Eyes feels refreshingly natural. Unusual control schemes often make me long for the familiarity of a controller. Sure, I can speak to my Nintendogs using the microphone on the DS, but sometimes I don’t want to yell at my shih tzu on a Delta flight. Before Your Eyes manages to do the opposite. Its unique mechanic matches its narrative so perfectly, that you won’t want to play it any other way.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 is a comprehensive reboot of the series, offering improved gameplay and a host of great new features.

This first-person action game hits you like a sledgehammer with its astounding, stunningly creepy presentation, but it sacrifices opportunities for more shocks and surprises by settling for repetition.

Performance on our machine (featuring a RTX 3080 Ti, AMD Ryzen 5600X, and 32GB of DDR4-3200 RAM) was great, with the game defaulting to its highest preset and maintaining close to 100fps at 1440p. There's support for both FSR (handy for Intel and AMD GPUs) as well as Nvidia's proprietary DLSS, which improved performance as expected when active. Each of the game's lush environments was packed with details, although that shouldn't be surprising given how handsome it already is on PS5. There aren't any PC-exclusive visual features, such as ray tracing, so don't expect a drastic improvement such as the one Spider-Man Remastered received on that front.

That's what makes Echoes of the Eye unmissable if you couldn't get enough of Outer Wilds. It manages to push you in new, challenging directions with puzzles that scratch the same part of your brain that the original did while not relying on the same tricks. It's a feat that shows the depth of design prowess Mobius Digital first flexed in its debut title, but stumbles slightly when it tries to redefine its means of progression in the final third. These are the weakest moments in all Outer Wilds, but they aren't enough to sully what this fantastic expansion adds to an adventure that still stands as captivating and engrossing.

While the initial learning curve is daunting, this is one of those games that opens up dramatically the more that you play it, so the time commitment is worthwhile whether you're a laidback dogfighter or a hardcore simmer.

It looks better, it sounds better, it plays better, and it's ultimately more enjoyable than the original.

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

No matter how you leave Daniel and Sean at the end of this chapter, there is the palpable sense of hope, of a new way forward, and of the unconditional love between two brothers.

Despite that unwelcome intrusion and the lacklustre storytelling, Bravely Default is one of the finest RPGs Square Enix has been involved with in recent times.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 is a comprehensive reboot of the series, offering improved gameplay and a host of great new features.

When it hits its stride, Uprising is a huge amount of fun. Once you get over the initial control discomfort, there's a deep and satisfying shooter to be found here.

For the average player, this expansion has a much longer tail than previous iterations of Destiny 2. The variety and flexibility of activities established in the base game still work to make grinding a good time, and Gambit adds a consistently entertaining mode to the roster. The endgame, while difficult to reach, is also where the most satisfaction can be found.

Reigns: GoT is by no means perfect. It doesn't lend itself to long play sessions thanks to the potential for repetition, which can make the action feel tedious. But that's ultimately a minor quibble for what's a genuinely fun experience: a choose-your-own adventure where you're faced with non-stop decisions and a seemingly endless combination of ways for things to play out.

With an online mode, custom soundtracks, and even a photo mode, there isn't much else on the console that the developers have failed to take advantage of. True, the game itself isn't a revolutionary change from the previous entry in the series, but if you've enjoyed Wipeout games in the past and have yet to play them in handheld form, then Wipeout Pulse is definitely worth checking out.

his care and attention to detail extends to the environments, which feel genuine and lived-in.

Knockout City's greatest strengths lie in its simplicity, but also in the ways it remixes traditional multiplayer elements to create something distinct. Its easy-going nature and straightforward mechanics reduce the time it takes to feel invested in each match, but it's really the subtle complexity underneath that keeps the action engaging and compelling over long play sessions. There's certainly room for improvement with the game's rotating match modes and some of its special ball types, but Knockout City nails the fundamentals to create multiplayer fun that will likely hook you for a long time to come.

Star Ocean: The Second Story R strikes an ideal balance between staying faithful to the original game and updating it for modern times. The revamped art style and music make it more aesthetically pleasing while the use of 2D pixel character models adds a certain nostalgic charm. The battle system didn't need a complete overhaul and the developers smartly added new features to make it feel more dynamic--the fights feel exhilarating and fun. Second Story R is jam-packed with content that will last any Japanese RPG fan satiated for hours on end.