Shadow of the Ninja Reborn is a welcome change of plans, pushing an NES classic into fascinating new territory. With katana in hand, Reborn carves out its own niche with its meticulous, plan-based platforming. Its strong design combined with a high amount of replayability invites its science-based community of ninjas to keep experimenting long after their first playthrough.

Zero Escape: The Nonary Games is the best way for you to play two of the most frequently overlooked visual novels out there. The additions to Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors bring new life to a underrated gem, and Virtue’s Last Reward is still as close to perfect as it was when it was first released. If you want to experience two of the best stories from the last generation of handhelds, this is the best way to do so.

Digital Eclipse has made this journey as earnest and effortless as possible. For those who want to forge a deeper bond with the medium (you know who you are), Wizardry 2.0's worth your time and money.

If you like to be immersed in a wonderfully historic world of political intrigue and epic battles with the added touch of some great role-playing elements there is no reason for you not to go out and buy Romance of the Three Kingdoms VIII right now.

Astro Bot captures all of the strong points of a brand new puppy. It’s cute, playful, and doggedly loyal to PlayStation’s history. While it still has room to grow into its legs and sharpen its teeth, most missteps are easily forgiven. I mean, just look at it!

If you even remotely liked the first two, then this title, which only adds more quality to the series, is a must have. The Time Crisis series upholds its throne as the light-gun shooter king, though anyone who is looking for more in a game will not find it all here.

Dead Cells is an amazing rogue-like 2D action platformer. Fast, fluid combat is enjoyable, especially with the different weapons and tools you can find. Permanent upgrades add a sense of progression and give you more goals to work towards.

Balanced gameplay, a memorable story, characters with depth, and more than two dozen hours of content scratch a shooter itch that has been long dormant. Wolfenstein: The New Order delivers an experience well beyond my expectations, elevating this venerable series not only into a new generation, but raising the bar for story-driven shooters as a whole.

What Lies in the Multiverse is one of the most unique puzzle/platformers released in recent years. Featuring gorgeous pixel-based graphics and a charmingly self-aware sense of humor, the game constantly throws a variety of new set pieces and obstacles at you and continues to find clever ways to use its central universe swapping mechanic. Despite some unexpectedly dark undertones, the game remains mainly upbeat, telling a story that deals with loss, friendship, and life in a surprisingly mature way. What Lies in the Multiverse is well worth picking up for fans of puzzle based games.

The Metronomicon: Slay the Dance Floor is one of the most infectious rhythm games this year. Its perfect blend of music gameplay and RPG mechanics is an ambitious one that sticks the landing, and the addictive soundtrack will have your toe tapping long after you turned it off. Just stay away from the dancing bears if you’re not shaking it like a Polaroid.

Spirit of Justice is yet another fantastic game in the Ace Attorney series. The gameplay is better than ever, and the stakes have never been higher, all of which only helps to make one of the best stories in gaming even better. Play this game — you won’t regret it.

Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly is a wonderful followup to a chill and touching story that retains the charm of the original while not feeling bound by it. The character arcs feel even more human and relatable within a fascinating world and branching story.

Dead Rising 4 is bloody, chaotic, and downright hilarious. If you’re looking to turn your brain off this holiday season, and de-stress with gratuitous violence, this is the game for you.

With an abundance of accessibility and irresistible charm, this version of Two Point Hospital is a shining example of a console port done right. The incredible control scheme will make you forget that the PC version even existed! With its clean bill of health, this is the best business sim game you will find on consoles.

Very approachable and just the right level of challenging, Deus Ex GO extends the main product perfectly. It captures the look and feel of Mankind Divided, while boiling down the stealth and combat gameplay into approachable turn-based action. The only thing missing here is the soft gravelly tones of Alex Toufexis as Adam Jensen.

Guitar Hero Live gives us an offline first-person rock-and-roll fantasy, but it’s Guitar Hero TV that gives this series new life. The new guitar gives veterans new challenges while breaking down the barrier to entry for new players. While the on-disc tracks are, in my opinon, throwaway, Guitar Hero TV should keep players busy for a long time to come.

Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris’s new mechanics and graphical improvements make it a must-have for any couch co-op fan.

While the visual and stylistic choices may not prove to be to everyone’s tastes, there is plenty of both new and familiar to satisfy anyone willing to hop on aboard and see where Beyond Earth is able to take you.

Dreamfall Chapters is a strong adventure game, held back only by the required knowledge base for entry. A fascinating game with interwoven tales, beautiful set pieces and believeable protagonists, Dreamfall is going strong and only getting started.

Mortal Kombat X improves upon a classic franchise in nearly every way. From its surprisingly impressive story, to its great new characters, to its expansive amount of new content, Mortal Kombat is a must-play for any fans of the series.

The Pale Beyond is a masterclass in tone and atmosphere informing gameplay. As Captain Robin Shaw, you’ll need to make tough decisions constantly, but this stressful journey is well worth seeing through to the end.

The Swapper delivers on nearly every front. The puzzles are intelligent and challenging, the story is deep and philosophical and the visual style is incredibly unique and inventive. This is a title that is sure to satisfy fans of science fiction and platform puzzle games alike.

Layers of Fear is an incredible, mind-bending horror game. The gorgeous environments are both detailed and terrifying, and the story will captivate you as you work to unravel all the threads. What it lacks in polish it makes up for in how obsessed you’ll become with finishing the masterpiece.

Grim Dawn: Definitive Edition is an overwhelmingly great package, stuffed with hundreds of hours of content, incredible replayability, a variety of distinct classes to choose from, a huge open world ripe for exploration, more loot than imaginable, and fun combat. Despite its age, Grim Dawn holds up incredibly well when stacked against more modern ARPGs and has made a fluid transition from PC to console with only a few minor slowdown issues.

Coming out of seemingly nowhere, Touhou Spell Bubble is one of the best puzzle games I’ve played all year. The mix of rhythm gameplay and a reimagining of the Bust a Move formula is wrapped up in a Touhou presentation, and it’s an addictively fun experience that diehard Touhou fans should definitely check out.

Episode 3, the final installment of Bear With Me, is the darkest and most narrative-driven yet, filled with surprising depth and humanity. What started out as a silly little point-and-click adventure game has retained all its quirks and charms while telling a touching story with themes of acceptance and forgiveness. It serves as an unexpected but incredibly satisfying end to a truly memorable gaming experience.

The Sims 4 Seasons is quite frankly the best expansion to come out yet. There are tons of new items, but what sets it apart are the ways it changes the game. It adds so many new activities and things to do and wonderful holidays, it honestly made me feel like this is the first must have expansion for The Sims 4.

A delightful journey behind the whiskers of a fuzzy feline friend, Stray is a wonderful game for both cat enthusiast and indie enjoyer alike. The story, while simple, is enchanting with each new discovery – with some that may just make you shed a tear. Gameplay doesn’t break new ground, but feels unique from the perspective of a cat, which is handled purrfectly. Stray is incredible, and one you should be playing right meow.