Blasphemous 2 is an excellent sequel that improves upon its predecessor in almost all of the ways it fell short. The addition of three new weapons--and the litany of ways you can augment your build--ensure that combat is engaging throughout, while traversal has also been expanded upon in positive ways, removing much of the previous frustration by focusing on satisfying challenges and a tangible sense of progression. Combine this with another fascinating setting and deluge of haunting imagery, and this is a pilgrimage worth embarking on.

With numerous traps, weapons, and an endless supply of one-liners, Orcs Must Die! dispenses death with satisfying variety.

Resident Evil 7 was an excellent return to the horror underpinnings of the franchise, but cunningly altered with new ideas and a new perspective. Similarly, Village is an intelligent reintroduction of the best action elements of Resident Evil. Though it captures some of the same things that made RE7 such a breath of fresh air (or maybe rancid, stale, mold-filled air, but in a good way), Village evolves to become its own unique creature. It makes you wonder what beautifully twisted fiend Resident Evil might mutate into in the future.

Hangs on to the great gameplay of the previous games, makes a few minor tweaks, and wraps it all up in a new Bam Margera-centric package.

Persona Q doesn’t quite hit the peaks that Persona and Etrian Odyssey do on their own. It does, however, take some of the best elements of each game, blending them together into an immensely satisfying and lengthy RPG. Persona Q is proof that this series has the power to delight, surprise, and engage, no matter the form it takes.

As a graphical showpiece, DiRT is an unbridled success. It also happens to be an entirely enjoyable rally racer.

Cunning defensive strategies and the ability to build up attacking armies make this one amazing tower-defense game.

In 2002, as Sora, I left Destiny Islands to travel across the universe and make new friends. In 2019 I brought old ones home, and I had so much fun doing it.

Sure, it isn't the deepest, longest, or most technically proficient game out there, but fans of the comic book are sure to have a blast smashing their way through every destructible obstacle the game throws at them.

A decidedly great game, all in all. Its most interesting, riskiest features may lie at the fringes rather than at the core--but they're there.

Though the slow, deliberate movement and shooting may not appeal to everyone, this new sequel’s frequent large-scale battles and co-op play still offer a fun and exciting adventure.

The original blue bomber returns in an all new adventure that will bring you back to the good old days of incredibly hard but simple games.

What the Golf is a comedy game first and foremost, and it succeeds at its primary goal. Perhaps the game's most telling feature is the 'Show To A Friend' option on the main menu, which runs you through a quick playable "best of" reel of some clever challenges the game offers up. What the Golf is an experience that can be shown off, fully understood, and effectively sold to a player in the span of about two minutes--and like all great jokes, you'll want to share it.

With inventive gravity-based puzzles and new birds to fling, Angry Birds Space is a fresh take on a familiar formula.

Featuring tight racing controls, 12 wacky drivers encapsulated in 12 real-life vehicles, and fast-paced, addictive, and challenging racing, Racing Gears Advance is simply a great game in every respect.

It sports the most fully featured online multiplayer mode of any fighting game yet, which is a huge accomplishment.

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

Street Fighter X Tekken is fun for a wide range of players while still offering the complexity serious fighting fans have come to expect.

As it stands, Splatoon 3 is a wildly inventive story campaign paired with a massive amount of multiplayer modes and options, making it the most robust Splatoon game so far. I need more time to put the multiplayer modes through their paces, but the foundation appears strong. [Review in Progress; Provisional Score = 70]

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided refines and reinforces the defining foundations of the series. It creates challenging situations and gives players the tools and flexibility to deal with them in a multitude of ways, all within an absorbing cyberpunk world. Although not a significant departure from Human Revolution, Mankind Divided is still a uniquely fulfilling experience, one which feels rare in games today.

Improvements such as revamped AI, more realistic animation, and a new play-calling system make this the best Madden yet.

The campaign hits the same satisfying rhythms, the multiplayer captures the same frenetic intensity, and the cooperative zombies mode delivers the same stale undead-massacring action. 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.

Hard-core fighting-game fans should consider Bushido Blade a welcome breath of fresh air; it's a vastly different combat experience that makes for one of the classiest, most serious fighting games ever.

What this fast-paced basketball game lacks in depth, it makes up for in fun.

NBA 2K7 is a very good game, but it's largely unchanged from "NBA 2K6."

There's a beautiful simplicity to Resident Evil HD that serves as a reminder that the best mysteries don't need convoluted stories to be enthralling.

Unreal Tournament 3 doesn't make huge changes to the formula, but still ends up feeling fresh, fast, and very fun.

Is this a game you want to play? No. Is it a game anyone with a beating heart should play? Yes. A million times yes. It's a longform exercise in empathy, a sobering piece of work that fills in the blanks left when all we see of war are the headshots.