I've sunk north of 40 hours into this title and after achieving 100 percent completion I wanted to start it again fresh.

The downright beautiful visuals work together with solid technical gameplay and an online experience that is easy to get into to make a game that is hard to harp on. Really, my only complaints center around several interface issues which are annoyances rather than serious bugs in the game.

The comparisons to "ICO" are striking, but this is simply the better game between the two...that's something I never thought I would say.

One of the most entertaining games I’ve played in a long time.

The levels were incredibly balanced and elicited feelings of imminent danger as you are often starting very close to your enemy’s location.

By far their greatest success lies in a more nuanced realization of the series' main protagonist, Master Chief, and while the campaign works exceptionally well as a stand-alone narrative, it leaves our hero in a place that opens the story to exciting new possibilities in the next two installments.

Imagination will always substitute for visual splendor if a story is told in a genius way, and Space Rangers 2 does exactly that. This is one for the record books, and simply must be played.

It's rare to find an RPG for a handheld system with this much content. There's so much video game joy here that you it should satisfy just about any RPG gamer.

Pinball FX2 is one of the most accurate and realistic pinball simulations I have played. If you appreciate the creation, design, and gameplay of pinball machines, you will get many finger-blistering hours from Pinball FX2.

Everything here is amazingly responsive and easy to use. A is jump, X is kick, Y is punch, L is slow, R is speed, and the C-stick or B is zoom. It's all right at your fingertips and nothing requires a second thought.

Discovering what this game has in store for you is a lot of the fun, so allow me to conclude by saying that if you are a DS owner then Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars needs to be in your collection ASAP.

Luigi is difficult to control and it will be a new experience to take him through the whole game, but it definitely adds to the replay value of this already huge game.

As if Super Time Force needed help being amazing, it also has a great, absolutely hilarious story, and that should not be understated. I have not had so many legitimate laugh-out-loud moments in a video game in a very, very long time.

Where some teams would stay safe in their additional downloadable offerings, building on the foundation laid by the full game, Remedy has gone wild. This is exactly the kind of episodic content I’m looking for. While I’m sure the upcoming Lake House DLC will further our connections to Control, I’m glad Remedy took the time to make something wholly unique, which is what that studio is.

Harebrained Schemes has transformed the complexity of the pen and paper BattleTech universe into an incredible game that welcomes veteran and rookie pilots alike. BattleTech represents the perfect culmination of all of their previous works, and the team should be proud of how well it all came together.

Ghost of Tsushima is easily the biggest and most ambitious game Sucker Punch has ever undertaken. It’s also the best game they’ve ever made. Akira Kurosawa would be proud.

New Pokémon Snap is a delightful photography game that I’ll be coming back to constantly for just one more course. Seeing Pokémon in their natural habitats captures a unique magic the series has been missing for a while, and seeing how they react to you is a ton of fun. While filling out the Photodex is rewarding, equally rewarding is taking more creative snaps, editing them, and sharing them online.

Tangle Tower is a delightful time all the way through. Its gorgeous art style, animation, intriguing mystery, and full voice acting make it stand out, even among the best of its contemporaries. While the ending does feel rushed, there’s still plenty here to love and it only makes me want more of Detective Grimoire and Sally’s sleuthing.

The game also provides many good reasons to return to it, aside from its core fighting game mechanic, but those reasons support the core mechanic rather than overshadow it.

Final Fantasy VII Remake is more than just a remake. It stays true to the core elements of the original game, while also exploring, expanding, and breathing new life, depth, imagination, and personality into an already outstanding world and cast of characters. While it is a little light on playtime, settling in at around 30-35 hours for a playthrough, it is bursting with quality and feels like a complete game, a full experience that is just waiting to be continued. It weaves together the familiar with the new, and adds entirely new elements, personalities, and modern storytelling flare to a beloved classic. Remake is a beautiful game, and a must-play for those who lived the original, who have always wanted to experience the world of FFVII, and just about any JRPG fan out there.

An absolute blast from start to finish, Arizona Sunshine 2 outdoes its predecessor in every way, and that’s high praise indeed.

Outbuddies DX is the quintessential perfect game, regardless of how you cut it. From the music that sets the tone and ramps up in the heat of battle, to the many weapons available, and the iconic and memorable boss battles, it’s clear that years of development Outbuddies DX has gone through will revolutionize the Metroidvania genre.

Deep Rock Galactic mixes incredible FPS action, addictive exploration, and endlessly entertaining gallows humour that combine to create one of the most compelling co-op experiences available in video games. Beautiful environments powered by incredible procedural generation will have me teaming up with friends to return to the hostile subterranean world of Hoxxes IV again, and again, and again.

There is more gameplay in this game than any four other holiday titles combined, and every minute of it is compelling.

The Siege of Paris is a very enjoyable step up from Wrath of the Druids and leaves you wanting more, in a good way. If this is indeed the final big expansion for Valhalla, it’s a high note to end on. While I’m not a fan of the infinite content machines the developers seem intent on shoving into every game, the story content is excellent, Paris and the surrounding countryside are gorgeous, and the new gameplay additions mix things up enough to feel worthy of a paid DLC.

The Sims 4 has released a lot of quality content this year, and the Fashion Street and Incheon Arrivals Kits don't disappoint. Both add wonderful pieces of clothing to your Sims wardrobes, with new and unique options we were desperately missing. The kits are reasonably priced at just $4.99 each, and definitely spice things up for your Sims!

Freedom Planet is a wonderful Sonic the Hedgehog-esque game that mixes nostalgia with something new. The quirky characters, fantastic levels, and interesting story will make you not want to put the game down. Each character has their own advantages and disadvantages, encouraging you to test them all out. In the end, it's the whole package, and it's worth picking up.

The Crimson Diamond is a fantastic mystery that’s incredibly enjoyable to solve. The characters are delightful, the visuals are stunning, the music is catchy and era appropriate, and there’s quite a lot to discover. This is a must play for any adventure game fan.