What I found was an extremely intelligent, involving quest through what is one of the best thought out, most beautiful worlds ever. If you're looking to test your brain, give Riven a try. Just remember, the world is a window into the psyche of the man who created it.

The HD remixes to controls and visuals are nice additions, but the ability to switch back to the classic look and feel is welcomed.

The multiplayer aspect gives it a lot of longevity, which is supplemented with New Game+ features as well. Mission variety is decent and enemies are well varied within their types, although the most addictive part of the game's missions will be the underlying RPG elements that allow further customization and adjustments throughout the length of the title.

It succeeds in presenting a believable story with likeable characters in a world that is far more detailed than the original. If I had to pick an RPG of the Year, (or hell Game of the Year) right now, Icewind Dale II would be it.

Truthfully, I don’t think that Danganronpa Decadence is the best way to experience the trilogy. These are three very intense games, each with enough crazy twists and over-the-top cruelty and violence that you should probably take a break between each one. One thing that you’ll be reminded of again and again in each game is that they earn their M ratings beyond a shadow of a doubt. But nonetheless, these are still three of the best games the visual novel genre has to offer, and if you’re even remotely interested in playing murder mysteries, they’re all must-plays.

The AI can be challenging, and towards the end it does border on cheap at times. However, everything feels pretty well balanced, and when it comes to portable fighters, Bleach definitely sits at the top of the heap.

In comparison to Bastion, Transistor feels rigid. As its own game, it tells a tightly controlled story with an experimental battle system. While the combat works, it contradicts the idea of thoughtful approach with gameplay that threatens to undermine anything over basic combinations.

Just based on the music selection, social/community functionality, and the fact that it's a new Lumines game for a new platform, Lumines: Electronic Symphony is totally worth checking out. Yes, it's priced too high and it isn't quite as packed with as many features as hoped, but it is still one of the best Lumines games yet.

Whether you’re new to the Splatoon series or a repeat customer, Splatoon 2 has enough to keep players entertained for hours on end. There’s enough variety in the different modes of play, and the solo campaign is almost worth the price of admission alone. The new Salmon Run is gloriously fun and the promise of even more weapons, gear, and modes make this game an easy recommendation to all Switch owners. Really the only glaring issues at launch are the cumbersome and lackluster voice options via the Switch Online App, and perhaps the lack of multiple new modes to play in for veteran gamers. I can see some longtime players experience a “been there done that” in Splatoon 2, but the formula works so well and the game is so much fun to play that I don’t think that will be a major concern for most players. Be a kid (or a squid) again and have some fun!

If you’re a fan of old-school shooters – or even if you just like games where you don’t have to think much and you can fire away at everything that moves – you should definitely check out Forgive Me Father 2. It doesn’t break new ground, but with weapons and action this fun, it doesn’t need to.

It's not every day that we'll get another shooter like this, but it's a good one for every day we don't.

Stray didn’t want to tell an epic tale spanning oceans, it didn’t need towering bosses with glowing weak points to create the greatest tension. What it did do was weave a tale that the smallest creature can make the biggest difference and that despite our seat as the apex species, that perch is ever precarious, there’s always something ready to take the spot and life will continue. It’s certainly something that we need to be reminded of periodically.

It combines the vast environments of GTA, the quick, the satisfying combat of great action games, a vertical dimension of game play and the character progression of RPGs in a very entertaining and unique package. The content is strictly for adults, but otherwise, it's a slam dunk.

It’s a pretty solid Yakuza tale, and it builds upon the progression and combat systems from the previous games pretty well. The side stories are fun and weird (sentient cleaning robots?), and there’s still a hefty number of side activities to explore. It’s a great looking game with some minor technical issues, and will likely provide the average player with dozens of gameplay hours.

If you didn’t play Kirby and the Forgotten Land before…well, that means you really need to play it now that it’s on the Switch 2. Not only do you have the fun bonus content, you also get one of Kirby’s best games, his foray into 3D platforming where you can really see the creative team behind the game stretch their powers to think of how our pink puffball hero can interact with a world that has more than two dimensions. Things like the Kirby-car and the Kirby-spike do a great job of making our hero more powerful, but in fun new ways than we saw in older games. And the key word there is “fun,” regardless of whether you’re playing Kirby and the Forgotten Land in its original form or now that you have the option of playing this Star-Crossed World expansion on Switch 2. If you missed it last time around, or even if you just feel like revisiting it on the Switch 2, it’s well worth checking out.

There's some interface stuff I'd like to see streamlined a bit, but the visuals are fantastic, the gameplay is certainly interesting and unique, and the overall presentation is spot on from what I've seen of UFC in general.

Hardcore fans of Fable should check this out, however, along with those few of you buried underneath rocks when it originally released.

I still think this series has some ways to go to get back to the very high heights it once achieved. While 2K clearly learned from last year, they had to fix so many problems that they still have some ways to go before they can truly call themselves the standard for sports game. But it’s important to look on the bright side: NBA 2K19 shows that none of last year’s problems broke the game permanently, and there’s hope for the game to return to its former glory sooner rather than later.

Little Nightmares II is a wonderful follow-up to the original, and manages to feel similar yet unique. The world-building is amazing, the puzzles are simple but fun, the story is intriguing, everything adds up to a really great experience. Tarsier Studios has outdone themselves with Little Nightmares II, and I cannot wait to see what they have in store for us next.

Everything from the visuals, audio, and presentation have been bumped up a notch to a level that would make any fan who has turned their heads for the last 3 years take notice.

PC is without a doubt the definitive way to play Destiny 2, if you have a system that can handle what the game demands of it. Now that the game has launched across the board, updates and new content will be available on all platforms at once, so PC players don’t have to worry about being left behind. As long as Bungie continues to support the game and ensure that the PC community isn’t ignored in favor of the PS4 or the Xbox One family of systems, Destiny 2 is a game that I will be playing religiously for years to come.

The game of baseball is represented perfectly in MLB 06: The Show, and not only is this a candidate for best baseball game of the year, but possibly best sports game as well.

Magic: The Gathering is a fantastic card game, long standing and one of the best. But these games are little more than a enjoyable advertisement for the paper game or Magic Online. So much so that there are obtrusive ads in the game about buying boxes of paper cards and joining the local Magic community.

My concern overall is, will the Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster do well enough to ever help justify a new game? The fans are out there, but after part 4, and a canceled sequel, I would remain cautiously optimistic. This is still a remaster that respects its roots in most ways as something that is a product of its time. If you can get past the time management frustrations and balance issues, and make sure to use all your save options, it’s still a bloody and entertaining experience worth the price of admission.

Music aside, overall this year’s madden is a definite buy if you are a fan of the series or a fan of the NFL.

It easily blows the first game out of the water, and puts the gameplay in titles like Grand Theft Auto to shame.

Picross DS has me captivated. Ever since I received it I can’t put it down. I’ve played it every night before bed.

The end result though is a very playable method of swinging through the city yet at the same time looking flashy and a lot like the way it was done in the movie. You can imagine the final few seconds of the first movie to get an idea of what you can expect, except you'll actually be doing it.