NASCAR Thunder 2002 on the Xbox is the most visually appealing stock car racing game on the market, and its gameplay will appeal to a wide range of racing fans.

Fans clamored for a Pokemon Snap remake for years, and with New Pokemon Snap, we've gotten even more than we bargained for: a great sequel that pulls from all eight generations of Pokemon released so far, dynamic courses that can be explored during both daytime and nighttime, and the ability to create an album of edited, personalized Pokemon photos (which you can then print or post online, a fitting evolution of the game in the social media era). Though there's sometimes a disparity between photos that make it into your Photodex and the ones you like the most, the core motivation of catching a Pokemon doing something particularly cool remains the driving force and the satisfying draw of New Pokemon Snap. 20 years later, taking photos of Pokemon in the wild remains as fun and exhilarating as it always was, and though it's been a long time coming, New Pokemon Snap was worth the wait.

The experience absolutely holds up: the skillshot system remains wildly fun and inventive, the weapons are still a gruesome joy, and the writing...well, it's as distinctive as ever. If you missed Bulletstorm when it originally released--and based on sales numbers, you probably did--now's the time to treat yourself to a clever if cringe-worthy blockbuster.

Top production values and exciting gameplay make Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood one call you should definitely heed.

PES 2018, then, is the proverbial game of two halves. Off the field, it's sorely lacking; online modes and server issues leave much to be desired, and the game's presentation as a whole is lagging behind the competition--even if the PES community produces some sterling work in recreating the unlicensed kits every year...And yet, when you get onto the pitch, no other football game feels as good as PES 2018.

Persona 4 Arena is a fast-paced fighter that can be easily enjoyed even if you're not a Persona fan. With the auto-combo system, combat is initially accessible, but it quickly reveals its complexity as you explore the intricacies of each character's persona and individual traits.

The game was obviously made by people who love the subject matter, and that affection comes across in every element.

Features an original tactical combat system and numerous gameplay twists that will surprise players well accustomed to the standard RPG blueprint.

Despite its foibles, The Escapists is a gratifying game that provides dozens of hours of entertainment. Planning an escape and watching it unfold is endlessly satisfying, and a successful breakout leaves you feeling jubilant.

There aren't a lot of games that offer as much variety as Battlestations: Pacific does. Yet impressively, no feature seems as if it received the short end of the stick; each gameplay element stands out on its own. Combined, they lead to an exciting and varied experience that should appeal to action junkies and armchair tacticians alike.

Fast action and strategy define Excubitor, and the smartly-designed levels and customization options encourage experimentation with the different weapon load-outs. Excubitor is a great action game that deftly mixes two distinct genres into one great new flavor.

It's not only one of the best Dragon Ball titles, it's also a great action adventure game.

Beyond its messy microtransaction menus and the slight time-saving purchases, there's not much else in Call of Duty Mobile that detracts from its faithful recreation of the exhilarating and fast-paced multiplayer action of the core series. It's flexible and easy-to-use control scheme mitigates the lack of controller support, and its celebration of the best modes and maps the Black Ops and Modern Warfare series have produced makes it a pleasure to line up game after game.

You might not want to live in one of The Escapists' prisons, but you will definitely enjoy the visit.

If any developer's good at weeding out the chaff of more robust games in a particular genre, surely it's Blizzard.

Hellblade's most notable achievement is the handling of an incredibly sensitive subject matter within an engaging and well-crafted action/adventure game. At its heart, the story is about Senua's struggle to come to terms with her illness. In the process, she learns to find the strength within herself to endure, and to make peace with her past. And in a profound and physical way, we go through those same struggles with her, and come away with a better understanding of a piece of something that many people in the world struggle with.

I found that as the credits rolled on The Touryst's strange ending, I was keen for them to finish so I could jump straight back in and mop up the remaining objectives. Admittedly, even if you want to do absolutely everything, The Touryst isn't very long—my completion total sat at 94% after five and a half hours. But perhaps it's better this way--after all, the best vacations often end before you've had a chance to really get homesick. It's the next best thing to an actual holiday.

Aliens: Infestation is an unforgiving and exciting retro romp.

PGA Tour 2K21 improves on the mostly stellar foundation of The Golf Club series, offering the most realistic and pure golf experience in a game to date. There are still some minor annoyances that can temporarily take you out of the experience, but it offers a closer approximation of the actual PGA Tour schedule and a relaxing, streamlined approach to MyPlayer. For the most part, PGA Tour 2K21 admirably captures the peculiar magic of the game of golf.

Xenosaga Episode III manages to wrap things up in dramatic and mostly satisfying fashion for the memorable main cast and the universe that they inhabit, while simultaneously leaving the door open for a continuation.

Over the course of its journey, Hellblade keeps its gameplay lean in order to not overstay its welcome. Despite the complexity of the narrative and its presentation, combat only happens when it needs to, and puzzle solving and set-piece moments often drive the story forward to reveal more about Senua's motivations. Which in turn reveals the struggles that torment her, preventing her from moving on.

Not a lot has changed since last year, but the new road-to-the-show mode is a fantastic addition and MLB 07: The Show is a great game.

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth may first catch your attention with its insane setting, surreal monsters, and irreverent references to Christianity, but the speedy, varied gameplay and seemingly neverending new features (which include multiple endings and new bosses after you take out mom the first time, so the replay value is nearly infinite) are what keep you coming back for more.

When I started BoxBoy!, I thought it would be a game for kids. In the end, it felt like a game especially made for me.

Works out many of the kinks found in last year's game and gets the series back on track.

Every movement you commit, every action you command, and every item or character you sacrifice for another will be an apprehensive decision. But taking each of those tough steps makes you even more grateful to hear the soft chime of your car's open-door alarm when you make it back, and the rev of the motor when you escape down the highway, relieved to leave another pack of abnormal creatures behind.

Superior animation, an engaging story, and clever puzzles make Broken Sword well worth investigating, despite the occasional glitch.

Every movement you commit, every action you command, and every item or character you sacrifice for another will be an apprehensive decision. But taking each of those tough steps makes you even more grateful to hear the soft chime of your car's open-door alarm when you make it back, and the rev of the motor when you escape down the highway, relieved to leave another pack of abnormal creatures behind.

Nexuiz is a smart, speedy shooter for a great price.

Lost Paradise may replicate the Yakuza series' format, but it's filled with a passion for FotNS that makes it fantastic all on its own.

Card Hunter's fusion of tabletop role-playing games and trading cards is easy to get into and hard to pull away from.

It is moody and oppressive, but rarely terrifying; it is a power fantasy, not a heart-wrenching death simulator that rolls deadly boulders at you as if you are a single, miniscule bowling pin.

While generally better than Spec Ops, Rainbow Six carries its own baggage, especially where the conflict of realism versus gameplay rears its ugly head.

The quintessential Sonic experience is made even better thanks to the inclusion of achievements and a strong, competitive multiplayer component.

Aces of the Galaxy is an exciting, beautiful game that captures the spirit of classic arcade space shooters.

Geralt deserves to be called a legend, of course, not least because he stars in one of the greatest role-playing games ever made. Perhaps we will join him in yet another adventure, but if Blood and Wine is the White Wolf’s final interactive appearance, he at least departs in style.

The first truly challenging expansion pack for The Sims... It adds lots of interesting and challenging new stuff that should keep any fan of The Sims busy for some time.

This great new expansion offers a significant amount of new content for veteran Medieval II players.

Even without the promise of future content, TrackMania is a rock-solid out-of-the-box retail product, so if you have any sort of interest or affection toward this type of racer, it's completely worthwhile.

A hectic cooperative mode and two new maps add more fun content for Uncharted 2.

Translating the lightning-quick close-quarters combat of the Bourne films into viscerally satisfying gameplay is no mean feat, but High Moon Studios has done it and done it well. The adventure is a bit short, and the solid gunplay becomes tedious the second time around. Still, the combat system alone makes this game worth playing, and the dramatic moments it creates are the real treat.

There's no denying that Warbirds is at once the most difficult, expensive, and ultimately gratifying online flight sim currently available.

This accessible but realistic driving simulation is both sublime and subpar.

Eye-catching visuals, a dynamic score, and a variety of puzzles make it easy to lose yourself in this magical world.

There is a real velocity to Three Fourths Home. It sneaks up on you, quietly at first, before suddenly becoming overwhelming. Its closest analogs aren't other games, but works like John Darnielle's novel Wolf in White Van or the haunting music of lo-fi artist Mount Eerie--art that rumbles and groans and then springs into action.

Deftly blending tried-and-true mechanics with a brand-new way to move, Hybrid is a fresh, exciting shooter.

In the end, Telltale's Game of Thrones succeeds in telling a violent, sad story that feels very much at home in the world of Westeros. By the finale, the danger feels real and your choices feel like they have mattered.

Smooth controls and a bunch of awesome tracks make this an exciting kart racer.

All in all, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 may largely give us more of what we've played in Insomniac's previous Spider-Man games, but that winning formula is still so damn fun that it really doesn't matter. The story's exploration of loneliness is fantastic, creating gripping new narratives for the two heroes, Peter and Miles, as well as the two main villains, Kraven and Venom. Spider-Man 2 unites all four characters in a riveting narrative throughline you'll want to see all the way through and has the gameplay hooks to keep you engaged the whole ride.

It's rare that a prequel truly works, where a story can captivate despite the audience knowing what's coming and where the path will lead. Life Is Strange: Before The Storm is one of those exceptional stories because it draws you in on its own terms. The only problem: You know it's building you up just to break your heart.

All in all, Cris Tales is the kind of RPG I traditionally love to play. It delivers a wonderfully satisfying story about a group of troubled individuals striving to save the world for their own reasons, and along the way finding a place to belong with each other. Hilarious characters like Willhelm keep things from getting too stressful, and Crisbell's powerful Time Mage abilities lead to some intriguing narrative choices, fun puzzles, and engaging combat. The game's final moments are not conclusive enough to tie everything up in a satisfying way, but the journey to get there is one well worth taking.

But when The Last Campfire captivates--which it does so often--it's difficult not to sink into its breezy pacing and satisfying puzzle-solving. It never overstays its welcome or stretches puzzle ideas beyond their limits, letting each one leave an impression despite their brevity. The Last Campfire's narrative contextualizes each of these with small anecdotes, letting your imagination fill in the blanks of its world between worlds to the backdrop of its colorful imagery. It's a consistently relaxing and pleasant experience.

Even more so than playing the N.Sane Trilogy, which literally remade the original Crash games from my youth, playing Crash 4 felt like getting back in touch with the series. It's an injection of new ideas into now-classic gameplay that surprises and delights, even as it feels like a homecoming. Truly, games like this are why we come running back to long-dormant franchises with open arms.

Playing a banana republic dictator in Tropico 3 might not be easy, but it certainly is rewarding.

Despite the lack of a defining new feature to attach itself to, FIFA 14 is far more than the sum of its parts. It's a fundamentally different experience to last year's game, and an entertaining one at that, moving the series ever closer to the realism it so proudly strives for. The only competition FIFA has this year is itself.

Rive is demanding, but it pushes the kind of near-thoughtless play that shoot-em-ups strive to achieve. When faced with an onslaught of enemies and environmental hazards, you'll have to think fast or die. Rive also doesn't run all that long, but what's here is excellent, top-notch action, and the game delivers some of the most memorable moments in a shoot-em-up in years.

Thankfully, your time on the mountain runs low on ammunition and high on strange, wonderful mystery. Mundaun is a darkly original work. This is an impeccably paced game with satisfying gameplay that fits hand-in-glove with its narrative focus on the process of taking a journey. That journey is rich in atmosphere and imagery, sustained by questions until it is satisfied with clever answers. My trek was well worth the effort for the view from the peak.

As Metro broadens its horizons, it loses some of the series' focus. But Exodus makes up for it with thrilling encounters and a crew you'll want to follow to the ends of the earth.

It's rare that a prequel truly works, where a story can captivate despite the audience knowing what's coming and where the path will lead. Life Is Strange: Before The Storm is one of those exceptional stories because it draws you in on its own terms. The only problem: You know it's building you up just to break your heart.

While there are minor issues with AI, and pacing suffers when you’ve comfortably gotten the upper hand, this is still a worthy and engaging contribution to the Total War stable that has successfully taken its cues from history’s winners and losers alike.

Pepper Grinder is here for a good time, not for a long time. Every piece, from the core drilling mechanic itself to the various ways it manifests with cannons and mechs and more, feels meticulously engineered to teach you a new concept, wring the fun out of it, and then move on to the next. That sense of propulsion makes every moment fun and engaging. It's a great little gem of a game which, like its heroine, may be small in size but makes every bit count.

Like an anime version of "Star Wars," this big, lavishly produced action RPG is another good reason not to shelve your PlayStation 2 just yet.

Even more so than playing the N.Sane Trilogy, which literally remade the original Crash games from my youth, playing Crash 4 felt like getting back in touch with the series. It's an injection of new ideas into now-classic gameplay that surprises and delights, even as it feels like a homecoming. Truly, games like this are why we come running back to long-dormant franchises with open arms.

The Outer Worlds 2 feels like the series coming into its own, carried by flexible combat options and great role-playing progression. The first Outer Worlds felt like Obsidian trying to recapture the magic of Fallout's apocalyptic future in a new spacefaring context. The Outer Worlds 2 cements this setting as its own identity that can exist alongside its sci-fi contemporaries to deliver something that is familiar, but also distinctly its own.

Ruined King: A League Of Legends Story has set the bar for future forays into League of Legends lore. The story Airship Syndicate tells here delivers in a big way, turning these six champions into the new faces of the franchise. The JRPG Airship crafted around its story is also wonderful, creating a feeling of playing League of Legends while actually playing a turn-based RPG battle. A few technical issues pop up here and there, but outside of the rare crash, none of them break the experience for every game. If this is the level of detail that future Riot Forge projects reach, we will all hail the Ruined King for ushering in this new era.

If you've got opposable thumbs, a sense of humor, and a brain that you're not afraid to use, this puzzle-filled adventure is one well worth taking.

No other Xbox soccer game comes close to matching World Cup's gameplay, sound, or even graphics.

Players looking for a terrific online racing game won't be disappointed.

In some ways, Halo 5 is the boldest Halo yet. The franchise's multiplayer is at its peak, with a mode I'm sure I'll return to several times over. But then there's the campaign, which introduces fluid new movement and open level design, yet can't tell a coherent story to match. There are signs of a phenomenal shooter here, but certain narrative aspects feel underdeveloped, holding the franchise's newest sequel back from true excellence.

Whether you're able to extract more playtime out of Shredder's Revenge or not will depend on how willing you are to replay levels with other characters and on higher difficulty levels. Despite its brevity, however, this is still a tremendous labor of love that lives up to the legacy of Turtles in Time and the brawlers that came before it. Combat is fast-paced and simple yet satisfying, while new features help modernize the action without tampering with its 16-bit essence. Co-op is overly chaotic and could use some indicators to help you keep track of where you are, but playing with friends is still a blast. Rehashing a classic retro game is always a tough ask, but Shredder's Revenge avoids the obvious pitfalls and successfully brings about a revival of everyone's favorite mutant turtles.

It's rare that a prequel truly works, where a story can captivate despite the audience knowing what's coming and where the path will lead. Life Is Strange: Before The Storm is one of those exceptional stories because it draws you in on its own terms. The only problem: You know it's building you up just to break your heart.

Duelyst overlaps enough with similar games in the genre that stepping into it doesn't feel like starting from scratch, but it still manages to distinguish itself with some clever additions. While it still has its faults, those faults never overpowered the satisfying feeling of executing a perfect play. Even if you're still devoted to your competitive card game of choice, Duelyst is definitely worth a look.

Years ago, Yacht Club introduced Shovel Knight to the world with a retro game that just feels right, thanks to pixel-perfect platforming that recalls the best of the NES days. With Shovel Knight: Pocket Dungeon, it applies that same level of polish to an entirely new genre and mechanics, and then uses the twist of rogue-lite elements to give it a completely new spin. It's inviting enough to feel immediately familiar, while mechanically complex enough to keep you coming back for one more run, and then another, and maybe just one more.

This gorgeous action platformer is fun on your own or with a couple of friends.

An uproariously fun and enjoyable post-Apocalyptic adventure that is a little too familiar at times.

This entertaining and varied sci-fi shooter doesn't break new ground; it's just a bunch of goofy, gory fun.

Web of Shadows is a fast-paced, soaring superhero adventure that delivers just about everything a Spider-Man game should.

Lode Runner on the 360 is a testament to the enduring appeal of this innovative and challenging game.

Digimon Story: Time Stranger is a strong argument that it's high time to give the digital monsters their own space in the critter-catching genre. Strong voice acting and mature themes digivolve this time-traveling tale into an emotionally-rewarding journey of grief and self-acceptance, and a vast array of branching options keeps team-building and the turn-based combat exciting. If you're still ignoring Digimon for its more mainstream pocket monster cousin, you owe it to yourself to at least try Time Stranger. You won't regret it.

Ring of Pain is interesting and enjoyable in ways that can keep you enthralled despite doing almost the exact same thing for hours. The quick runs are really nice for just jumping in and having a few goes rather than oversaturating yourself with this world. It nails the creepy aesthetic from the art and sound design right down to the way it plays. It can make you feel a bit unsettled no matter what stage of the game you're at and how confident you're feeling. Ring of Pain swings between frustration and satisfaction but thankfully leans heavily to the latter most of the time. It's a delightfully disturbing mix of roguelike and card game genres that's worth stumbling in the darkness to discover.

Easily the most graphically impressive, deepest, and by and large most enjoyable surfing game to be released yet.

The third time is the charm for Traveller's Tales--logical puzzles and great offline co-op play make this the best Lego game yet.

This great fighting game nails the look and feel of the UFC and demands strategy as well as quick reflexes.

At its best, though, in both the original survival mode, across the bulk of the campaign and in the one-off challenge of the week maps, They Are Billions remains a tight and compelling strategy game. The knowledge that you're always just one misstep away from disaster creates a gripping, tense atmosphere that's unusual for the genre. And the cycle from defense to offense and back again as you progress from one wave to the next offers both well-paced urgency and the ability to set clear short-term goals. It's a smartly designed game at its core, despite the distractions. Just like a lone zombie can bring about your demise, sometimes one strong idea is enough.

Both on its own and as a tribute to Mario's legacy, Mario vs. Donkey Kong does a great job.

The Beginner’s Guide is an absorbing journey into the thoughts and processes involved during the creation of a video game. It succeeds in helping you understand and sympathize with game developers as artists and people. It equips you with important tools to perceive and think about both video games and other mediums in intelligent ways. It’s a game that lives up to its namesake--it’s the beginner’s guide to the meaning of video games.

There's no point in looking back: Dante has got a brand-new future in front of him, and if DmC: Devil May Cry is anything to go by, it's going to be a great one.

Grim Fandango’s greatest triumph, however, is that you needn’t overflow with nostalgia to appreciate its greatness.

The Missing Heir and The Girl Who Stands Behind, while mechanically similar, offer pretty different takes on the detective game. Do you want to slowly unravel the conspiracy behind a powerful woman's death in a quiet village? Or, would you rather chase down a murderer in a high-octane, spooky thrill ride? The former is better executed, but both are worthwhile opportunities to dust off your magnifying glass.

If you have the patience to get into it, Harvest Moon: Magical Melody offers a rewarding and fun experience.

At its best, though, in both the original survival mode, across the bulk of the campaign and in the one-off challenge of the week maps, They Are Billions remains a tight and compelling strategy game. The knowledge that you're always just one misstep away from disaster creates a gripping, tense atmosphere that's unusual for the genre. And the cycle from defense to offense and back again as you progress from one wave to the next offers both well-paced urgency and the ability to set clear short-term goals. It's a smartly designed game at its core, despite the distractions. Just like a lone zombie can bring about your demise, sometimes one strong idea is enough.

Dyad is an entertaining collection of clever gameplay mechanics made more exciting by a trippy presentation.

The additions are noticeable, but it may still be tough for owners of last year's game to justify a purchase, considering that it hasn't even been a year since the release of "MLB Slugfest 2003."

Nostalgia is something that's often talked about when it comes to WoW Classic, not modern WoW. Nevertheless, nostalgia was what kept coming to mind while playing Midnight. Whether it was hearing old war tales from classic Warcraft characters in the Arcantina or revisiting familiar places and faces in Eversong Woods, Midnight honors the past while not being beholden to it, making for a memorable trip down memory lane. Despite its nostalgic underpinnings, Midnight never feels stuck in the past. Just like with the 20-year-later revamp of Eversong and Silvermoon City, Blizzard isn't simply updating WoW--it's continuing to move it forward, one change at a time.

The stripped down nature of the PS2 version of Rock Band robs it of a good chunk of its value, but the gameplay still rocks.

The Missing Heir and The Girl Who Stands Behind, while mechanically similar, offer pretty different takes on the detective game. Do you want to slowly unravel the conspiracy behind a powerful woman's death in a quiet village? Or, would you rather chase down a murderer in a high-octane, spooky thrill ride? The former is better executed, but both are worthwhile opportunities to dust off your magnifying glass.

At its best, though, in both the original survival mode, across the bulk of the campaign and in the one-off challenge of the week maps, They Are Billions remains a tight and compelling strategy game. The knowledge that you're always just one misstep away from disaster creates a gripping, tense atmosphere that's unusual for the genre. And the cycle from defense to offense and back again as you progress from one wave to the next offers both well-paced urgency and the ability to set clear short-term goals. It's a smartly designed game at its core, despite the distractions. Just like a lone zombie can bring about your demise, sometimes one strong idea is enough.

Batman: The Enemy Within Episode Two builds on a strong opening to the season. It raises the stakes for Bruce Wayne by throwing him into a shark tank and asking him to turn bloodthirsty enemies into friends. Along with an empowered Harley Quinn and the unnerving powder-keg that is John Doe, the second episode provides drama and excitement in equal measure.