The Lunar series sits alongside "Dragon Quest" and "Final Fantasy" in the pantheon of role playing, and Eternal Blue is Lunar 2's final and best incarnation.

It contains everything that was good about the previous three games while it adds a single new move and a modest set of new features that, once again, inject freshness into a formula that never seems to run out of steam.

No soccer fan should hesitate to buy FIFA 2003.

The Forgotten City rewards your inquisitive mind with equally satisfying rewards at every turn, making its time-travelling tale one not to miss out on.

Ghost of Sparta offers stunning environments and brutal combat, but a few issues get in Kratos' way.

This exciting racing game is full of spectacular crashes and addictive time challenges, but it's a little light on content.

Tropical Freeze isn't a heavy-hitter from Nintendo in the same way Breath of the Wild or Super Mario Odyssey are, but it's a fantastic platformer that's bursting with creativity and expertly designed challenges. It's tuned just right--always tough but rarely frustrating--to ensure that even the most common moments feel great.

This feat of intelligence and insight sticks with you long after the credits roll.

Mario Kart World is a massive, sprawling sequel that playfully expands and iterates on the qualities that made Mario Kart 8 Deluxe such an enduring success. It's an incredibly fun and rewarding kart racing experience that's easy to understand, with enough mechanical nuance to reward veteran kart racers, all presented beautifully as a Switch 2 showpiece. It will be shocking if this game doesn't enjoy the same long-term success of its predecessor, because it's among the best in the series and a worthy marquee title for the launch of a new Nintendo console.

From quality-of-life enhancements like this, to excellent new additions and refinements to its core systems, Nioh 3 is absolutely superb across the board. It's an evolution of the Nioh formula where every single new idea lands. There might still be a couple of issues, but they're relatively minor in the grand scheme of things. Nioh 3 is Team Ninja at its very best, learning from its own development side quests to return with renewed vigor. The end result is the best game in the series so far, and one not to be missed.

It's just a shame that some newcomers won't appreciate what the early adopters went through to make the fantastic game it is today.

Punch-Out for the Wii isn't much different from the NES version, but it hardly matters when it's this much fun.

If you're a fan of college basketball, the attractive presentation, smooth online play, and deep legacy mode are all good reasons to check out ESPN College Hoops 2K5.

A little rough in spots, but it has the makings of a classic.

Simply put, Reload is the greatest way to experience Persona 3's story, and Persona 3's story is one well worth experiencing. While it might not be the definitive edition--or even a remake in the same vein as something like Persona 5 Royal--it contains enough changes and upgrades to make it an extremely worthwhile play for repeat players and newcomers alike.

Radiant Silvergun proves that great core mechanics stand the test of time, though its severe difficulty could derail the unprepared.

The lackluster story is disappointing, but taking control of the Zerg--those nutty world-devouring insectoid-dinosaur hybrids--makes Heart of the Swarm well worth the investment.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a sea change for the long-running series, and almost as dramatic a shift as Sands of Time was when it took the classic platformer series into 3D. This new genre debut is so confident and impeccably crafted that this should simply be the identity of Prince of Persia for the foreseeable future. Nearly every part of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown works so well, and the parts connect so seamlessly, that it feels as if the series has found its new genre home.

Pentiment strives to exist somewhere between a history book and historical fiction, not quite committing to a detailed look at history or fulfilling a narrative arc. This is a detriment to the game's conclusion, dampening my memories of the game save for the stories of individual characters. I retain a soft spot for the wise Illuminata and her conversations with Andreas about literature and religion, and I have a parental fondness for a young peasant girl who I watched grow from a gurgling toddler to a young woman. Witnessing their lives play out is a narrative delight, only enhanced by the creative use of Pentiment's different fonts to better convey a person's societal station or education. But limiting how much time the player actually has to engage in the game's best parts hurts the overall experience too much.

I'm not sure whether it's because of the game's fantastic music, the use of the word "verse" to refer to encounters, or her over-the-top style, but when I think of Bayonetta I can't help but imagine her as a popstar. Bayonetta 3 feels like her Las Vegas residency: a lavish and spectacular show where each number is beautifully choreographed, every song is a banger, and the guest appearances are sure to delight. It’s a fast-paced and joyous adventure that achieves its goals with an abundance of charisma and style. While it might have taken the better part of a decade to get here, the queen is back, and she's ready to serve.

Its polished interface, accessible gameplay, and exceptional graphics make Dungeon Siege a first-rate action RPG.

The gameplay hasn't changed dramatically, but better source material makes Lego Star Wars II a better game than its predecessor.

Astonishing atmosphere and great action make this add-on a no-brainer for role players across the galaxy.

It may not be as visually stunning or control as well as some other racers, but the game does a little bit of everything and does it all well.

One of the most highly evolved 2D fighting games yet--and not just from a gameplay standpoint, since Guilty Gear X2 #Reload is also among the first online-enabled home fighting games.

Unfortunately, the Xbox One version of the game can't quite live up to the looks of the others. In contrast to the PC and PS4 versions, colors look washed out and muddy, while textures seem almost blurry. Certain details like hair look significantly less natural compared to other platforms, and one early moment involving a chainsaw and a window looks more like an object accidentally clipping through the geometry than a weapon intentionally slicing through solid material.

It's remarkable that the game's quest is every bit as big and complex as the original's. On the other hand, some unsightly technical issues and a general feeling of déjà vu will probably prevent you from feeling as strongly about The Sith Lords as you did or still do about the first game.

The wow factor is undercut by some AI and multiplayer oddities. But while the lows are inescapable, the highs are intense, and the more you play, the more extraordinary they become.