Ascension is not content to rest on past success, giving players new combat options, a fresh approach to magic and rage, an even larger sense of scale, and some small but meaningful mechanical changes that improve the overall polish to the game.

FF X / X-2 HD Remaster offers a massive amount of content in a fully polished presentation that reminds us of how good RPGs are supposed to play.

Nioh 3 is an evolution of Team Ninja as a studio. The solid foundation laid by the first two Nioh titles paved the way for aspects of Ninja Gaiden, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, and Rise of the Ronin to combine into the third and most ambitious entry in the series. This is a must play for any fan as Team Ninja truly cooked with this one.

Tales from the Borderlands is just as good as you remember it. The characters feel real and human, while the plot is compelling and worth seeing through to the end. This port could have used a few upgrades or even just kept the choice summaries, but at the end of the day it’s a game I’ll replay for years to come.

Knockout League is an extraordinary VR experience. It's tough, it's exciting, and it's incredibly rewarding. It delivers exciting, demanding gameplay and requires observation, timing, and endurance. Great mechanics paired with over-the-top characters will leave you entertained even as you're pummeled into blacking out. This is a must have for anyone who likes to box or who would benefit from using a videogame to supplement or motivate their workout routine.

At the end of the day, Duck Game is flocking fun and a real gem for anyone wanting some pure, unadulterated entertainment. Its simple controls mixed with addictively fun gameplay and a hilarious premise make this an instant multiplayer classic.

Etherborn is a gravity-defying puzzle platformer with breath-taking visuals and MC Escher-like levels. The difficulty is enough to test your observation and critical thinking, but nothing gets stressful. You'll be done with a playthrough in around five hours, but it's time well spent.

Each episode of The Lion’s Song offers a beautiful narrative with pleasant (and sometimes not-so-pleasant) surprises. Its sepia-tone art style and use of sound design helps lay the groundwork for its Vienna setting that has you coming back to learn more about the world and characters that Mi’pu’mi Games has given us.

Pro Skater 1 + 2 not only perfectly recreates the pure joy of the originals, it improves on them greatly. The visuals have obviously been improved, but so have the responsive controls. If you have liked a Tony Hawk game in the past, you’ll feel right at home here.

Dwarrows mixes town building, resource management, puzzle solving, and peaceful exploration into one enjoyable package. The lack of combat may turn some off, but it's not a detriment to the game. The various tasks, rewarding progression, and relaxing gameplay make this a winner for sure.

You could just plow through the story and ignore a lot of the side stuff and be completely happy. In fact, you'll probably get a good 20 plus hours out of that. However, if you choose to feed all the animals, collect all the treasures, complete the bestiary and find all the beads you'll find it very rewarding without being too tedious.

Under Night In-Birth II [Sys:Celes] does not reinvent the wheel so much as it refines it to its most effective form yet. That takes more effort than you’d expect – UNI2 is the culmination of a decade’s worth of thoughtful design and carefully considered changes. Despite this, it effortlessly demonstrates why it’s one of the strongest competitors on the fighting game market right now.

A gorgeous RPG, with expansive randomly generated dungeons, compelling combat, unique characters, and an amazing soundtrack. Teleportation across maps and within dungeons encourages exploration, and the ability to select dungeon difficulties, as well as the fact that essential game elements, such as crafting and fishing, can only be done inside dungeons creates meaningful replayability and naturally sends you crawling through completed dungeons again and again. Featuring animated comic panels, and avoiding long-winded lectures about history and lore, Battle Chasers: Nightwar is an indie game which delivers a top-tier JRPG experience.

Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse remastered adds a much needed, fresh coat of paint to a fantastic adventure game. This is quite possibly the best the Freelance Police have to offer, and it’s better than ever. The Switch version suffers from some framerate drops and loading issues, but even there it’s a great time with your little buddy.

With the addition of so much additional content, and all of the previous DLC packed in, there is no doubt that this version of Hitman: GO truly is the Definitive Edition.

The mixture of zany antics and storyline coupled with an outrageous cast of characters makes Serious Sam 2 a must play for FPS fans.

With oodles of charm, shockingly-addictive yet easily accessible gameplay, Letter Quest Remastered: Grimm’s Journey is one of the best family-friendly puzzlers on the Xbox One platform.

While I’m not sure the harcore end-game will translate with the console audience, there is no doubt that Diablo III is the new couch co-op king.

Come for the role playing and story, but as soon as someone speaks, please turn down the volume to save your ears some distress.

Knocking it out of the park once again, San Diego Studio continues to make MLB The Show 26 a premier sports sim.

A vast improvement over its predecessor, just by adding Live play and improving the character management system.

Oreshika: Tainted Bloodlines is a masterful retooling of JRPGs before it, and only a handful of problems hold back an otherwise excellent tale of family, honor, and reclaiming what was lost.

>observer_ takes the beats from Bloober Team’s own Layers of Fear, adds a layer of cyberpunk, and somehow comes out the other end both unnerving, and more than the sum of its parts. There are a few small technical hiccups present, and some infrequent uneven voice work, but beyond that there’s an amazing story about the human toll of investigation and observation.

For everything it gets fantastically right, it has an inherent level of frustration contained within that made me reach the limits of my patience.

While it isn't necessarily aimed at people used to more recent RPGs, Persona 2: Innocent Sin is a prime example of the entire reason many of us have loved Japanese RPGs for years.

The game makes you feel like a badass from the word go, and it just gets even more out of control as things progress. Sure, there are some hiccups graphically, and sometimes things can be a little clunky mechanically, but there is no doubt that Saints Row The Third is crazy fun from start to finish.

Flower is a mesmerizing game that truly feels unique, and showcases how Six-Axis control can bring the gamer closer to the experience.

If you are a fan of old school games like Mega Man, this may be the easiest purchase you ever make. JumpJet Rex’s new-school approach to old school platforming, and the addition of the time trial elements and collection itch to scratch, this game is an absolutely must-have.

Filled with strategic gameplay and impactful decisions, The Banner Saga is a gorgeously epic Norse-inspired adventure whose only real fault is that there isn’t more of it.

The Sims 4 Dream Home Decorator Game Pack was just what I needed, as I really wanted to start designing some of my own homes and rooms. I very much enjoyed the hands-on experiences with each of the clients' unique homes. My only complaint is that some of the likes and dislikes are not obvious, especially when it comes to particular styles, and that the clients don’t tell you what you did wrong at the end of the renovation. The reveal at the end is super fun, and reminds me of being on a fixer upper TV show.

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim on Switch receives a small downgrade in resolution and effects, but is largely the same as its PS4 counterpart. The story is still incredible, and well worth experiencing multiple times.

It is a tremendous value at the cost, and offers hundreds of hours of some of the best strategy gaming available to gamers on any system. [Review of Gold Edition]

Rebuilt from the ground up in every way, Destroy All Humans! (2020) puts every other remaster on notice -- this is how it’s done.

Transcending the line between video game and interactive art piece, Harold Halibut explores the meaning of home on an isolated alien water world. While some pacing issues exist within the larger story, the handcrafted visuals that consistently charm alongside an extravagant cast make this a treat for fans of narrative adventures.

Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age is a highly enjoyable game that screams 'high quality production.' Despite its lack of gameplay innovation it still provides a certain level of enjoyment most JRPGs do not.

There are a few drawbacks and limitations, but Splatoon’s frantic and addicting gameplay is a blast. This is Nintendo’s best new IP in years.

It looks great on the PSP screen, and it offers as much content as any of its console cousins.

Rebuilt in every way, and unlocking the entire Gears franchise for a value-conscious price, this truly is the Ultimate Edition of Gears of War.

Steins;Gate is a complex visual novel with a costly time commitment, but it offers one of the best stories on the Vita.

I struggled to find negative things to say about this game. From start to finish, South Park: The Fractured But Whole had me in stitches. It’s the perfect of blend of smart and silly. It is magnificent and absurdly ridiculous in a way that only South Park can pull off. It’s the best possible excuse to laugh about everything and everyone you know you’re not supposed to.

Thumper is a terrifyingly difficult game, but don’t let that deter you from experiencing its rhythm violence firsthand. The Switch port takes advantage of the system’s features quite well, and its speedy performance and killer sound design will rock your world.

While Marvel Ultimate Alliance isn't reinventing the wheel carved by X-Men Legends and X-Men Legends II, it certainly puts Armor All on the sides, slides in some new rims, and adds aquatread.

Borderlands is leading the way with the new FPS/RPG genre. It strikes a comfortable balance between real-time combat and character advancement.

Madden NFL 13 makes huge strides this year, but also makes a few rookie mistakes. Seasoned football fanatics and casual onlookers should be satisfied with the end result. As seen in my previous Madden reviews, you know that I have had my fair share of issues with the game. If you have been skeptical of Madden before, this year's edition is worth a look. If only they could do something about the number of interceptions.

Full of stuff to blow up and laced with detail. Metal Arms is a great game.

Crackdown 2 is a game that's heavy on action, gameplay and interacting with your friends. At the time of this review, I can't think of another sandbox style game that allows cooperative multiplayer that is this fun and accessible.

It is well rounded, filled with features that you wouldn’t expect in a handheld, and it is a blast to play.

The gameplay sucked me in, but the Franchise mode stole my heart. It’s deep, detailed and easy to get dragged into.

Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion adds some nice features to a great, proven winner of a game. Those features are nice, but as nice as they are, I couldn't really see myself running out and throwing down forty bucks for this standalone expansion if I already owned the original Sins, to say nothing of its expansion packs.

Although the game is short and there isn't much replay value, I can see myself coming back to this one over and over again because of the addictive gameplay and gritty storyline.

Gearbox has a solid franchise here, and if they can boost the graphics and bring the environments into play more, then they could rival "Call of Duty" for best WWII series on the market.

You never feel like things are dragging on and the next goal is always in sight.

The game will beat you silly, but the challenge and gameplay are so much fun that the need to press forward is strong.

The big thing to talk about in this section is the Owner mode section of the Franchise mode... This honestly is an unprecedented move by EA and it is really an exciting section of the game.

In the meantime, go out and get Dragon Quest V, and enjoy one of the best "lost" RPGs of the Super Nintendo generation.

What can you say? It’s Metallica. If you like Metallica, pick this up. If you don’t, you may want to skip it.

One heck of a story, and has a decent engine to back it up.

Treasures of the Sun is a nice side diversion with Dungeon Siege 3. The core game remains a fun hack-and-slash loot-a-thon, and the DLC gives you several hours more game. The dungeons are well laid out, the enemies are challenging, the loot is plentiful, the art is gorgeous, and it's absolutely worth your time if you enjoyed the original game.

Whether you enjoy the humor aspect, the run and gun gameplay, or the fast and furious multiplayer, Glitch has a little something for everyone. The small details in the title and some of the innovations will keep you coming back for more, even if some of the gameplay is mindless repetition.

For all the hype that floated around the original Scribblenauts, it ended up delivering a lot less than promised. Super Scribblenauts delivers the goods in a way that the original couldn't.

This was Nintendo’s second effort at putting Picross on the DS, but they really knocked it out of the park here.

Criterion should be commended for trying to try something different in Burnout Paradise.

While the game might be a bit simple for some, veteran gamers will still enjoy the deep story contained within Still Life.

While the emphasis on the story of Final Fantasy XIII makes for an interesting tale, the gameplay feels sacrificed, making FFXIII a good game but unfortunately not a great one.

It's obviously not for everyone, but you can't deny it's charm. This is definitely Rare's best release on any Microsoft platform, and it is a wonderful game to play.

If you are more a fan of music titles than the Fab Four, then you might be disappointed in the shorter songs and roughly half the songs you’d normally expect for the price. Any way you slice it though, this is good music that folks from almost any generation can relate to - I can’t think of a single band that has ever pulled that off, or ever will again.

I've discovered it’s pretty much impossible to sit still and play this game at the same time.

Whether you enjoy the humor aspect, the run and gun gameplay, or the fast and furious multiplayer, Glitch has a little something for everyone. The small details in the title and some of the innovations will keep you coming back for more, even if some of the gameplay is mindless repetition.

Underneath a 'kiddy' looking facade lurks a game of amazing depth.

My easy answer on this game is that if you found "Xenosaga" wanting in the story department, then you need to look into this title. It seems to do everything right.

Easy to learn but difficult to master as your tactics need to be adjusted on the go.

Walk in with the realization that it won't be perfect and you'll have a fantastic time

The single player is robust and action packed, while the multiplayer tends to be a bit more tactical.

There is a massive amount of items, music, people, and scooters to unlock, as well as levels and movies. You could play this game for months and still not final all that it has to offer.

ESPN NFL Football has the better graphics and commentary while "Madden 2004" has better controls, gameplay and arguably more replay value if you're into franchise play.

The simplification of the controls from the PC version to the XBOX version makes it much more accessible to those that are unfamiliar with the Rainbow Six/Ghost Recon games.

If you have the hankering to play a action top down shooter that looks good and has addictive gameplay, look no further than Shadowgrounds: Survivor.

Anyone tired of the WoW juggernaut or who wants something else to try are doing themselves a disservice by not giving Warhammer a try. With just a little TLC it has the ability to grow very long legs.

A great extension of the "Quake 2" storyline. While there are certainly flaws in the single player and multiplayer, the game’s fantastic visuals and engaging storyline make it a worthy addition.

Simply a great pickup if you like rally racing games or racing games in general. The only huge blunders are no music and the lack of Live online play.

A good way to describe it would be to call it Gauntlet with a chainsaw and shotgun, as you're constantly swarmed by enemies who need a good killing, all while looking for keys. There's some repetition to be found in key-hunting, but there's just so much fun to be had in the meantime it's easy to accept.

Be that as it may, this is definitely one of my must-have games for this year. It’s too bad it's so damn short!

Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge is a game to be played for the nostalgia factor, and for those who never played it the first time. I'd also throw in die-hard fans of the series, but people new to the franchise will be left scratching their heads unable to grasp what the big whoop was in the first place.

A robust online mode is available, but playing solo won’t leave you bored after a couple of play-throughs.

There really isn't anything like it out right now. As long as you still have a soul and can overlook a few biggish flaws, you'll love Little King's Story.

With all that in mind, FTL remains a great game – not perfect, not legendary, but a great indie title that offers up something pretty unique as opposed to a cheaper version of a game that mainstream devs already do and do better.

Xbox Live integrates into this title and elevates it to a level not seen in hockey in years. While the game won't take the crown from "Blades of Steel," it certainly can hold its own against almost any hockey game out right now.

The story is mysterious enough to demand further investigation, but after a while you start wishing they would hurry things up and get to the good stuff. It’s only later when you’ll stumble onto the Catch-22 that the only truly "good stuff" in the game is that you can blow up a lot of the boring stuff.

This is one game that will kick your butt if you don’t use your brain. The best part is how it keeps you on your toes by forcing you to alter strategies to fit the situation, which is something far too many games ignore.

Sonic Lost World is a wonderful addition to the Sonic legacy and one of the best exclusive titles on the Wii U. It harks back to the classic days of gaming that got me into video games in the first place, a time when developers aimed to challenge players rather than guide their hand through a movie experience.

For $19.99 Wipeout fans can’t lose. Fans of racers in general will also find a lot to like.

It is a must buy for all Final Fantasy fans and a terrific starting point for anyone who hasn't been lucky enough to play the original Final Fantasy VII.

It is a tough game, but once you get past the early part it is pretty smooth sailing.

The depth overwhelmed me for a bit, especially trying to remember all of the alchemy recipes, and some of the boss fights were extremely tough, but the game overall shines and is definitely one of the best, and quirkiest, games on the PS2 out this year.

It isn’t perfect, but it takes everything that was great about its predecessor and makes the whole package more accessible. It’s a shining example of how to use shooter mechanics to tell a story, which is enough to make it a must-play in my book.

Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends features the best balance I’ve seen in an RTS – ever.

It combines aspects of great RPG games and first person shooters, wraps them into a package that will appeal to the historian, and tosses in a dash of addiction to combine into one great final product.

So, if you're jonesing for some Indiana on the go, you've got a great option with LEGO Indiana Jones.