The Spyro Reignited Trilogy is an absolute pleasure and a strong continuation of Activision's commitment to remastering classic games. For those who grew up with or loved the old Spyro games, I can't imagine you won't find yourself engrossed in the collective quality of these remasters. For those new to the world of Spyro, this game is a winner even without its history. Plus, a very attainable set of achievements (or trophies) means you can earn yourself some rewards along the way.

Tetris Effect is the most optimistic game of the year. Plus, nobody saw it coming. It shouldn't be possible to say this, but this is the best Tetris has been in decades.

This is a Battlefield experience through and through. However, I find myself staring more at the gaps in the menus than the accessible parts that are there. The promise of future content is a great thing, but not when you are constantly reminded of the voids it will fill. Fans will love this entry, and rightfully so, but in its current form Battlefield V won't be recruiting any new soldiers to this battle.

It's actually really hard to pick between the two which might be a better game, but for me, that Last Surprise remix in Dancing in Starlight really steals the show.

This DLC content comes off feeling a little 'more of same.' It doesn't introduce anything terribly new, and feels like it has less content and depth than the first chapter. I'm holding out hope that the third chapter can wrap this up neatly.

Transpose treads new ground in the world of VR puzzlers, breaking away from the tried and true room escape types of puzzles that are such an obvious fit for VR. The solutions to the puzzles are dependent on the player performing and recording actions to create "echoes," then combining those echoes into a full solution. It makes good use of VR, although there are aspects of it that can cause problems for people that suffer motion sickness when playing in VR.

Mutant Football League isn’t your ordinary game of football. Player deaths, field hazards, and dirty tricks make this a unique game from others that take place on the gridiron. If you’re not a fan of the Dirty Tricks mechanic or are okay with your team being preset instead of drated, then you might not enjoy Dynasty Mode as much, but with Exhibition, Season, and Playoff modes playable without them or several other options, Mutant Football League is still an entertaining game on its own.

As with the 2016 reboot of Hitman, Hitman 2 is one of the best games of the year and is so far my personal Game of the Year.

Combing rooms for items and gadgets can only get you so far when it comes to actual engagement with both the story and gameplay of Lucid Dream, rather than evolving the genre, like the now-defunct Telltale Games did with its one-off hit The Walking Dead, all this title has done is highlight the so-called Adventure Genre's repetitive flaws in an effort to bask in the imagined fun of the past.

The Sunken Kingdom is a fairly small expansion for the Strange Brigade, and while it doesn't exactly bring a whole compendium of new mechanics and adventures into play, it serves as a strong continuation of all the things I enjoyed about the original Strange Brigade campaign. Players get a chance to explore a beautiful and fun mission, all in the shoes of a brand new character. The DLC also brings some new weapons, equipment, and amulet powers to the playing field, giving players some room to experiment with different combinations. In addition the DLC, Rebellion has done a great job of periodically adding new (and free) content to keep players entertained, so there's no reason to expect them to stop now.

Deracine is one of the better experiences on the PSVR with a compelling story and some interesting gameplay. It feels like a complete experience from start to finish and has an interesting world that begs to be explored further.

Windjammers was a lot of fun on Neo Geo and it’s still fun now on the Nintendo Switch. While I had some minor problems at first using the Joy-cons to make precise curve shots, it’s not to hard to adapt and soon you’ll be throwing the disc every which way on demand. Once you’ve mastered the controls and have gone through Arcade Mode over and over again, grab some friends and have them join in on the fun.

The conjuring house has confusing, repetitive level design and cringe-worthy voice acting, but the scares are hard-hitting and the gameplay is a constant risk balance of exploration and self-preservation. It’s not a great horror game, but it does have some great moments that make its relatively brief campaign memorable.

Although inspired in its kingdom management system, Pathfinder: Kingmaker ultimately fails to innovate in any of its presented gameplay functions. Lacking in writing, combat, and even fun, a game that had potential to change things up just becomes a disappointment.

WWE 2K19 is still rough around the edges and some game modes are still in desperate need of an update, but it's the best game from 2K yet and features a lot of upgrades and fun game modes to keep you playing all the way through until WWE 2K20.

Gift of Parthax is a pretty decent top-down arena brawler. While the keyboard and mouse controls can be a bit clunky and a lot of the game can just make you feel like you’re going through the paces battle after battle, there is a good amount of strategy involved with what spells to take into a battle, what runes to place in them, and how to deal with the enemies you encounter. While the fights early on may seem a bit slow in their pacing, Gift of Parthax is an enjoyable game if you give it a chance.

Call of Cthulhu sadly doesn't live up to either its literary or pen-and-paper heritage. The setting, atmosphere and some of the voice acting are impressive, but the detective gameplay is shallow and fairly linear, and any other gameplay aspects feel buggy and tacked on.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, the fifteenth iteration of a storied Call of Duty franchise, blends old and new to put itself in the upper echelon of Call of Duty games. Despite its lack of a traditional campaign, the game impresses in plenty of other aspects. The newcomer mode, Blackout, puts a fun and compelling Call of Duty spin on the battle royale genre. Multiplayer's boots find the ground again and take me all the way back to my fondest memories of the original Black Ops. Although it's not historically my favorite type of mode, Zombies really kicks it up a notch, with more maps and customization than ever before (not to mention even crazier Easter Eggs).

Starlink: Battle for Atlas is a stellar achievement. Through its fun and accessible cast of characters, solidly made toys-to-life component, and beautiful graphics, Ubisoft has hit the ground running. With the addition of a healthy amount of Star Fox content, the Switch version is definitely the preferable way to go, but regardless of your system Starlink is a remarkably entertaining game, and an auspicious launch for a new gaming universe.

The Heist is a good bite-sized morsel of content that kept my attention throughout, and I'm excited to see where the rest of these chapters go. I just hope the Insomniac team can keep things interesting throughout.

An astounding triumph that will certainly stand above the pack this season, Red Dead Redemption 2 is a unique game about unique people. The writing, visuals, and gameplay combine to make an absolute standout of a title, one that has been well worth the wait.

Marble it Up is an enjoyable game, but the short length might turn some people off, especially for its twenty dollar price point. If you’re someone who is constantly trying to better their times in games with time trials, or you’re a completionist that just has to unlock everything, Marble it Up will definitely keep you busy trying to find new and interesting ways to finish each stage as fast as possible. Otherwise, the minimal content might turn some off for now, enjoyable as the current amount of content might be.

Ultimately, Gone Home is the same game no matter what platform it is played on. It brings the same emotions, anxieties, and intrigue to the table now as it did years ago. There is no denying, however, that the versatility offered by the Switch version fits the calm nature of the walking sim, whether it is played docked or not—plus it’s just plain cool to experience the story in such close quarters.

Packed with clever story surprises and dynamic, richly-constructed gameplay, The Messenger is both a tribute to and affectionate pastiche of 8 and 16-bit game design, storytelling and nostalgia. It belongs in every Switch owner’s eShop library.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider should leave us wanting more from the rebooted Lara Croft game, but with some clunky controls and a lazy combat system, what saves the game from being below average are beautiful visuals, fantastic puzzles and tomb layouts along with true adventuring. It’s as mixed up of a bag as one can get.

Joggernauts presents a smiling face to the world, bouncing happily in place and waiting for someone to love it. But before long, it rips its mask off and reveals that it is, in fact, a ludicrously difficult game. It all starts with Ooh and Ahh and Oh, that’s cute, but later there’s running and screaming. Groups of friends that love games will have a riot savaging each other over their performance. With a fun and accessible veneer, Joggernauts is ready to break the world.

Capcom Beat ‘Em Up Bundle is another successful entry in Capcom’s recent efforts to bring more retro games back into the fold. It’s a solid experience whether you’re looking to relive the glory days of the arcade, or discover the types of games that cost your gaming predecessors all their coveted quarters. With seven different arcade brawlers in the game, there’s plenty to love if you’re just looking for a relaxing night of solo games. But bring a few friends into the fold, and you’ve got the makings of a solid game night.

For someone who’s barely touched a Soul Calibur game, I can definitely say that Soul Calibur VI was a lot of fun.