Numerous Japanese visual novels have been coming to English-speaking audiences lately, many of them excellent. The Zero Escape series manages to excite and confound, the Phoenix Wright games lets players live out a Japanese take on Law & Order and even BlazBlue got in on it via the X-Blaze series. Danganronpa manages to eke out a place at the top of the pack. Players new to the series have no reason to pass up this collection. Both games are extremely well written and hard to put down. Returning players who already know the solutions to all of the conundrums but don’t mind re-experiencing the story will find a better looking version of the original two titles here. Since this is releasing at a lower price, that’s enough of a reason to go through again in preparation for Danganronpa V3.

Tokyo Jungle is easily one of the best games this fall season, and is going to be cropping up in gaming conversations for years to come.

Company of Heroes 2: Ardennes Assault is a standalone title in the venerable franchise that is wholeheartedly worth exploring.

Like The Walking Dead before it, The Wolf Among Us is at once a faithful adaptation and a great original story in its own right. Fables fans will be delighted to see more of the characters they know and love, and newcomers will find this to be a great jumping-off point into an expansive and fascinating universe.

Linelight‘s unapologetically simple aesthetic is cunningly packed with a punch matched only by its intelligent assortment of variety and execution in creating a puzzle game that blossoms into something more than merely guiding colored bars on a circuit board-like winding of lines. A testament to the ever-growing puzzle genre, Linelight is nothing short of a stroke of genius.

While not a groundbreaking game like its predecessor Resident Evil 5 offers up one of the most fun co-op experiences to date. Any fan of the RE franchise or action games in general will find a lot of enjoyment in RE 5.

Death’s Door is a gem of a soulslike game with a nice and meaty level of challenge and a world filled with lovable characters and loads of secrets to uncover. It may seem minor compared to most in the genre when it comes to length, clocking in at around ten to twelve hours, but it will be one memorable journey. Come for the charming little crow and the colorful cast that they meet after slicing and dicing a few dozen monsters, stay for the excellent writing and the superb tale about death. It’s all to die for.

A special, once-in-a-generation type of game. Cuphead would have flourished on its brilliant art-style and visual aesthetic alone, easily. Yet what truly sets itself apart from anything released over the past ten years is how well everything else binds together. A gameplay loop that constantly throws more and more unique ideas at the player; a soundtrack that energises the maddening antics of its visuals even further; a situation that is equal-parts chaotic as it is psychologically immersive. Though it misses out on being crowned a perfect game, believe me when I say that it’s not by much. Its faults may crop up at the most pivotal of moments, but even that takes nothing away from the generally electrifying sense of joy to be found from a game of this vigor and caliber. Cuphead truly is one to cherish.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a love letter to Breath of the Wild in the best kind of way and is well deserving of anyone’s adventuring spirit.

Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is the best way to change the Borderlands formula and quite possibly the best Borderlands game to date. A lot of this is due to the change of setting and the unchained feeling tying directly into deeper customization.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge caters to a specific niche audience, but couldn’t have done a better job of it. The developers understood what made the arcade games great thirty plus years ago and build on it, creating a game that is rooted in the style of its predecessors with just enough modernization to feel contemporary. References to the classic games and cartoon are sprinkled throughout. Interactions with supporting characters like Vern and Irma are deliberately handled in a manner that would fit in during the 16-bit era. Shredder’s Revenge does rely on nostalgia for the golden age of arcade gaming for players to be completely enamored with it. Without the nostalgia goggles, it’s still a great retro beat ’em up based on its own gameplay merits, but for those who grew up with the classic Turtles, it feels like a fragment of childhood has been recreated.

Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together is a phenomenal strategy RPG, and feels like a breath of fresh air for a genre that's felt a little stale lately.

Thumper is a beautifully dark, unforgiving and utterly fantastic rhythm game, and its sense of menace is only matched by its wonderful playability.

For those who didn’t enjoy Skyward Sword because of the motion controls, it’s worth picking up to experience the title in a much more enjoyable control scheme. This isn’t even to mention the overall fantastic gameplay, characters and story that make it well worth getting for those reasons along. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is not only the best way to enjoy this title, but hopefully will be remembered more fondly thanks to welcome adjustments and improvements that make an already wonderful entry in the long-running series even more wonderful.

A firm early nominee for story-based end-of-the-year awards, The Banner Saga 2 is an absolute must play for anyone with even a passing interest in high fantasy or strategy games.

Metroid Prime 4 may still be years away, but make no mistake that MercurySteam and Nintendo’s latest incarnation of Metroid has made the strain of such a wait not just more bearable, but potentially no longer existent. Sure to please longtime fans and general Switch owners/newcomers alike, Metroid Dread more than delivers on a climax two decades in the making.

Super Mario Galaxy remains one of the franchise’s shining points in the 3D era. While one can question the pricing structure for two 15+ year old games, there’s no doubt Nintendo has done a good amount of work adapting the beloved games to 2025. The visuals have been updated, with textures being reworked in a big way, there's a smooth framerate, and most importantly, a 4K resolution for those on a Switch 2. It’s how Super Mario Galaxy and its successor should be remembered. That’s on top of the Gyro controls being properly implemented to mimic the Wii Remote IR motion controls. If you somehow missed Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 all those years ago, this is the ideal and most complete way to experience it.

Black Myth: Wukong took us by surprise. It had a lot of potential from its initial reveal, but what Game Science has been able to create is nothing short of greatness. This is a visual treat that brings ancient China and Chinese mythology to life like never before, crafting a story that, while somewhat vague, will have you compelled to progress further thanks to its creative presentation values.

It's rare to play an FPS with gameplay this creative and exciting. [Vol 3, Issue 2, p.54]

Super Mario RPG was one of the best titles of its era, and based on the Switch remake, is just as good today. The remade graphics maintain all the charm of the original while transforming a decades-old game into one of the better-looking titles on Switch. The quality-of-life improvements such as splash damage from timed hits are fun additions, though some may criticize that this makes a game with a rather low challenge level even easier. Aside from those additions talked about earlier, this is the same game players loved back in 1996 with a fresh coat of paint. Super Mario RPG succeeds at invoking feelings of nostalgia for the 16-bit era while looking good enough to pass for a modern game. It’s short and simple compared to many RPGs, but while the time with it may brief, there are no wasted hours.

It may have been sold on seemingly every platform on the planet, but finally we have a proper remake to the 2005 classic. Every square inch of Resident Evil 4 has been remade with incredible detail. There’s new side quests to take care of, such as mini-boss fights, and optional backtracking to open up the three major areas, allowing each to feel lived in.

There's just the right mix of story and gameplay, with a couple of cool twists thrown into both for good measure. [Sept 2007, p.69]

Street Fighter 6 modernizes the series and feels like a true evolution that hits the likes of Hyper Fighting, Third Strike and SF4. This is possibly the biggest swing the series has seen and it worked out. With three time-consuming modes that will keep players engaged while offering a variety of balanced fighting across the board with solid online options, this is as complete as Street Fighter could be in 2023.

Yakuza 6 isn't just one of the best entries in the series to date, it's also one of the most fulfilling experiences you'll find in 2018. A game bursting with content and character alike, it takes its rightful place alongside some of the best releases of the year not just on substance or style, but on its ability to balance all its attributes yet pace it in a way that's both manageable and inviting.

It's nice to play a game that manages to be fun for the hardcore and casual alike. [Summer 2008, p.48]

Through peerless cinematography and sound design, Dontnod imbues everyday moments like waking up or riding the bus with profundity.

If you love point and click adventures, The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 is everything you could possibly want and more.

While many will feel it's one or two chapters short of a truly fleshed-out and fully-realized vision, Children of the Sun's short but lavish flair for the hyper-violent is one of both visual and audible delight throughout. With what might be one of the most interesting and quick-to-convince takes on shooter mechanics in many a year, developer Rene Rother's knack for the look and feel of such an onslaught allows both art-style and gameplay alike to boldly glisten. As divisive the in-game graphics and general presentation might wind up being. But it's in no small part thanks to composer Aidan Baker's treatment of sound on top that only emboldens Rother's vision more so as one of both depth and replayability. An easy-to-understand pitch that comes with just as easy a recommendation, Children of the Sun is a blistering but brilliant take on shooting as a puzzle to be solved.

Aside from some spotty keyboard control implementation and limited online play, there’s little not to like here. Mount Your Friends is a wonderfully weird game best experienced with buddies.

Besides some of the same nagging issues with the franchise, the portions that got upgraded truly shine. RPM Technology is no joke as the results are seen on the ice. Gameplay is fast and fun and the AI helps complete the experience. CEHL is extremely fun with a good bit of variety, but could use some more depth when compared to The ONE in NBA Live 19. The unified progression system that is here is quick and allows styles to be easily adjusted. Having 200 NHL Legends is fantastic if they were included in other ways outside of Ultimate Team. All the nitpicking gets thrown out the window once you hop on the ice, though, as NHL 19 is fun and exciting in action.

Windlands is easily the best platforming experience available on the PlayStation VR, and a must for anyone who wants to see what a Mirror’s Edge-style blend of platforming and parkour is like in that format.

An absolute dream for fans. This is the exact game we’ve been waiting for since the first disappointing PC release over a decade ago.

Dokuro is an off-beat and unique puzzle-platformer with a beautiful aesthetic and haunting soundtrack. Its logic-based puzzles may not be for everyone, but the anti-frustration measures built into the game make it an easy recommendation for folks who don't usually like puzzle-platformers due to their difficulty.

Fallout 3 is the biggest accomplishment in adventure gaming since Oblivion.

We couldn’t have asked for anything better than Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward. It comes packed with a staggering amount of content that will leave players overwhelmed in both quantity and quality. It contains a storyline that’s highly entertaining and rivals most RPGs in length, three new jobs that are more than welcome additions and flying mounts that help revolutionize traversal in Eorzea.

In the end, Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl feels less like a remake and more like a full-fledged sequel.

The term "interactive film" is thrown around often, but this is the first game to actually feel like one. Carefully maintaining a balance between its social context and supernatural elements, the game refuses to give into standard video game tropes and remains a mature and thoughtful story throughout. It’s poignant, thrilling and even a bit frightening at times.

If you’re a casual NBA player who hasn’t played the game in some time, this version is a no brainer to enjoy on your new console. There’s also enough here to warrant the purchase for yearly players even if they didn’t purchase the upgrade options with the last-generation version. NBA 2K21 on next-gen is a much better version of what was released two months ago.

Capcom broke out their calligraphy brush and created a masterpiece that, while shows some signs of aging, remains an awe-inspiring experience like no other.

Do not under any circumstances give this one a miss: Everhood is likely to be one of the most surprising, smart and moving games to surface in 2021.

The single player is disposable, albeit fun, but it’s irrelevant as there’s enough content in multiplayer to keep gamers busy for hundreds of hours until the next Call of Duty comes out.

Score Rush Extended is a fantastic remake of what had already been an excellent shooter.

For all of its criticism with themes, Dontnod exemplifies its fantastic approach to different issues, such as sexuality, in a respectful manner and naturally injects them into the story. If Episode 3: Wastelands is a taste of what’s to come from Life Is Strange 2, then the episodic series will continue to move from strength to strength going forward.

A Robot Named Fight combines a blaster-centric Metroidvania with a roguelite and works wonderfully. It blends the sub-genre with a bit of Turrican, and much like that classic series, this one man game delivers the goods.

Octahedron is an incredible challenge and one that easily inspires creative bouts of swearing, but with a little bit of practice you’ll be dancing through levels that seemed impossible like a polygon-headed disco-ninja.

It’s hard to go wrong with Hatsune Miku and all the other Vocaloids in one of the most enjoyable rhythm titles on Switch. Although everything about how to play is simple at face value, it gets more challenging the higher the difficulty goes and constantly challenges one’s rhythm and ability to be alert without getting distracted. Anyone who enjoys the style of music and keeping up with a beat will enjoy the latest in the Project Diva series, as Mega Mix delivers on being a fantastic time. The new mega mix mode is an awesome addition that gives more ways to enjoy all the songs and move to the beat the entire time. There’s a reason Hatsune Miku is so popular and Project Diva Mega Mix further proves she’ll be here to last for a good long time.

Echoes of Wisdom brings the spark of the latest games, but also dives deeper into the ethos of the old games with its use of dungeons. While the regions are the same, there's a new life that's presented in this that nails the aspect of refreshing the franchise in a way that isn’t a total reset. The game delivers on bringing those two elements together and valuing the series. While it isn’t perfect, it goes without saying that the game is impressive and reels you in right at the start and will make you want more after the credits begin to roll. Echoes of Wisdom should be seen as an addition to the mainline of The Legend of Zelda series. I mean, Zelda is in the name, so why not?

If you’ve already explored Tumbleton’s depths, the PSN version won’t give you many new or better reasons to buy it again, but if you’ve yet to grab your pickaxe and start digging, SteamWorld Dig has a lot of fun and well-designed ideas buried within.

By no means perfect and at brief moments falling victim to its own expansive vision, Tetris Effect remains a welcome surprise to those appreciative to the series’ longevity and versatility of content. A fitting referral for that go-to saying: greater than the sum of its parts.

Even as a relative newcomer to the sim game space, I found myself enjoying my time with Two Point Hospital. Minor bugs and functionality wishes aside, one can do pretty much everything they need to in order to succeed here. Information is easy to find for the most part; construction is easy to learn and handle, and there’s plenty of optional depth here for those who want it. Put it all together with a pleasing art style and entertaining comedic stylings, and the result is a simulation game that just about anyone can have fun with.

If nothing else, NORCO will go down as the game this year that had the most unique world, but it also stands a huge chance of going down as the game with the best writing, story (or stories) and atmosphere. Who could have thought that Louisiana would be a perfect backdrop for a bizarre sci-fi mystery? Geography of Robots did, and it’s thanks to them that we got this memorable journey that folks should check out, even if it may be hard to describe what happened.

A Link Between Worlds is a delightful return to the classic game we loved. There aren’t a lot of improvements, but the additional world and new power are more than enough.

Starward Rogue is easily the best arcade roguelike since Binding of Isaac: Rebirth and while it doesn’t stray too far from its inspiration’s influence, it makes up for this by executing its formula incredibly well.

What I can say about Rock Band 3, though, is that it's excellent, and a ton of fun in both single and multiplayer.

It is at once a love letter to the classics that came before it and a gorgeously unique collection of clever ideas, all wonderfully packaged into an 8-bit style game that looks like it jumped straight out of the NES era.

Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion is a terrific mecha action game in a vast world where exploration is rewarding, customization gives players various resources and combat is exhilarating. Even with an interesting scientific fiction universe that feels like it could have been more fleshed out in a compelling fashion after the initial explosive events, the story never truly forgets its appeal. As a complete package, this is an experience that is worth diving into.

While there's a chance that Anger Foot might not make a perfect first impression, it's recommended that any players keep at it, as what lies within is very well one of this year's best FPS games. A twisted gem of caffeinated action that never lets up and finds new ways to challenge players while still keeping things accessible to all, this is one shooter that plays like bizarre dream that's filthy and candy-coated at the same time, with great humor, visuals and an intense soundtrack to boot. One way or another, metaphorically or literally, you'll get a terrific kick out of it.

What I can say about Rock Band 3, though, is that it's excellent, and a ton of fun in both single and multiplayer.

Kororinpa, feels like a solid beginning to what could become a beloved franchise. [May 2007, p.59]

Like the new DOOM games, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine - Master Crafted Edition is pure, violent fun that focuses on gameplay and graphics. The revamp maintains what made the original fantastic, without sacrificing its identity and love for the Warhammer 40K franchise. There’s enough to keep longtime fans and new fans satisfied with the overall game, so if players are willing to overlook the minuscule issues and the unfortunately short campaign, they’re in for a blast. Now, grab a weapon and get out there, Space Marines. For the Emperor.

Minami Lane is a testament to the charm and depth indie games can offer. With its engaging blend of management and strategy wrapped in an irresistibly-cute package, it's a delightful journey that invites players to create, manage and grow their little slice of paradise. The presence of a talking tanuki guide is just the cherry on top, adding a unique, whimsical touch that perfectly encapsulates the spirit of Minami Lane. Whether you're strategizing your next build in Mission and Planner Mode or freely decorating in Creative Mode, Minami Lane will surely captivate and charm your heart.

Dontnod created a stroke of genius with the ending of Episode 3: Chaos Theory, leaving an open-ended cliffhanger that is nothing short of the best jaw-dropping conclusion to any episodic title to date.

Despite the obvious changes, Nidhogg 2 absolutely succeeds at keeping the game’s spirit alive and just as enjoyable.

Even if FRU ends up being one of the last Kinect games made, it ensures that the peripheral will be going out with quite a huge bang indeed.

In the past Nintendo’s reluctance to embrace new intellectual properties for release on the Wii has failed to produce new classics. However, their dedication to their established franchises has always seemed to result in fun games and Punch-Out!! for the Wii is no exception.

Of the many titles from Wii U that still need and deserve to be ported to Switch, Pikmin 3 Deluxe was a great choice to bring over. Pikmin has always been niche as far as Nintendo titles go, but it adds enough change to not only make it worth picking up again, but excellent for people to dive into for the first time. There isn’t anything else quite like Pikmin and its charm is matched only by its quirky unique gameplay and dialogue that creates a charming adventure in the wilds of a small world. It’s hard to say no to the big-eyed caring Pikmin that try their hardest to help the small adventurers do their best to escape the planet, and hopefully people will enjoy Pikmin 3 Deluxe for a first or second time on Switch.

Newer, faster machines mean tearing out and rebuilding the current setup, while new resources such as quartz and oil open up a host of options like enhanced computing, different types of fuels and plastics. Transportation items like trucks and trains or eventually the aerial drones allow moving large amounts of resources across the map, and each new upgrade requires rethinking the current setup to see how it can be made better. There's a story with an end-point, although not at all intrusive, but climbing through the tech tiers to complete it can easily take a hundred hours or more. That sounds like a lot, but in a game with the scope and polish of Satisfactory, that can be just the beginning of retooling a planet to be the industrial powerhouse of your dreams.

Higurashi When They Cry is a series that continues to impress with its incredible atmosphere and multitude of mysteries. Even as these mysteries are finally becoming untangled, there’s still an immensely strong storyline keeping players engaged. Higurashi When They Cry Hou – Ch.7 Minagoroshi provides enough information to satiate fans but leaves them desperate for a conclusion. That’s coming with Ch. 8 — but don’t expect to see that release for at least six months up to a year.

Team ASOBI has yet again cracked the code of delivering an experience that’s fun, rewarding and nostalgic all at the same time. With nostalgic callbacks, vibrant worlds and welcoming gameplay, there’s truly something for everyone in Astro Bot.

This is a culmination of everything Guerrilla has learned from working on the Killzone franchise and they've successfully crafted something that delivers on the potential many saw back in 2015. Horizon Zero Dawn is not only one of the best-looking games of this generation, but a must own for every PlayStation 4 owner.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a huge step in a new direction for the series. Many fans will say that despite enjoying recent titles, the formula had been growing stale and repetitive especially after Star Allies. Forgotten Land at its core is still Kirby, and feels like the traditional adventure, but adding this extra layer to levels, exploration and combat opens up a whole new way to experience the journey like never before. It’s not only utterly charming in that lovable Kirby way, it’s also a fantastic look at the kind of new creative ideas we’ll hopefully get to see from here on out. While the 2D-styled Kirby titles will still be around, it’d be wonderful if focusing on larger 3D adventures was the new plan moving forward as Kirby and the Forgotten Land hits the ground running with one of the franchise’s best titles to date.

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance stakes its claim as the definitive version of the original and sticks the landing. It changes what needed to be fixed and keeps what worked intact. While it doesn't go too above and beyond what was before it, that by no means makes Vengeance anything less than great. The original was one of 2021's best RPGs and now Vengeance can claim a high spot among 2024's best and brightest. It's a hardcore, fantastic and rich experience that should be on everyone's must-play list.

FIFA continues to show no signs of slowing down its dominance, as this year’s title further enhances the consistently enjoyable gameplay thanks to improvements to the on-field animations and varied, but realistic presentation. The core modes could have been better off with a similar amount of enhancements, particularly FUT and Career’s reliance on an unnecessarily complex menu system, but as a whole, FIFA 18 will once again reign supreme as one of this year’s most accessible and crowd-pleasing titles both in and outside of its genre.

Life is Strange: Before the Storm – Episode 2: Brave New World is an excellent entry in the series. It’s an emotional roller-coaster from beginning to end and an experience that will leave you with questions answered and tears in your eyes. Anyone who enjoyed the first episode, or even the original game, will love it. Seeing Chloe gain so much characterization here while also growing as a person with Amber is a minor revelation. The more grounded nature of Before the Storm remains one of the biggest advantages it has over the original game and helps it stand out tonally as well. The same visual issues abound, but the animation and overall sound design combine with the writing to make a story that hooks you at all times.

Antichamber is a giant, brilliant, stripped-down shot of pure mental exercise, delivered with a stark but colorful style and wrapped in an accessible FPS shell.

It’s amazing that Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn managed to turn a generally detested game into a great one, but this is proof it’s possible. Playing on PS4 is quite the experience as well.

Motive Studio has done the unthinkable with Dead Space. It has turned this iconic, incredibly memorable survival horror game from fifteen years ago into an even more immersive and engaging experience. This isn’t just a simple graphical upgrade, but an overhaul on a significant portion of the mechanics and storytelling, crafting a better and more gratifying universe to dive into.

We’re getting to the point where denying the greatness of the Forza franchise is borderline ridiculous. The saddest part about Forza Motorsport 6 is that it will likely be brushed away by critics and gamers alike as a fantastic racing game rather than a fantastic game in general. Make no mistake, with all of its meaningful content and rock solid gameplay, Forza Motorsport 6 is one of the best games to come out in 2015, period.

If you somehow missed the many opportunities to tryout Lara’s rebooted fiction, then the Definitive Edition offers a remedy for that.

Madden NFL 18 may be the biggest leap forward in the franchise since going to 3D in 1999. The tightest and crispest Madden to date, it looks and performs stunningly, all while adding tons of little things to correctly represent the game of football.

The visual clarity and overall quality-of-life improvements are a welcome addition and only help excel this dungeon, high school life simulator even further. Persona 4 remains one of the best JRPGs on the market and now it’s accessible to more players than ever before. Whether you’re a long-time fan or a fresh to the franchise, Persona 4 Golden is an experience you won’t soon forget.

This is a game that transcends its name and should be spoken of in the same breath as the genre’s best.

Sure, there’s no Trance Vibrator attachment, but being immersed entirely in Rez’s world is an almost religious experience in and of itself.

Fire Emblem Warriors pays tribute to the most recent 3DS titles that helped the series take off in recent years. While it would have been more varied if they had included more than just a handful of characters from older entries, it still creates an enjoyable action packed spin-off for new and old Fire Emblem fans alike. Fire Emblem Warriors is an easy title to pick up and play at any time, regardless if just doing one mission or sitting down to grind for a full session. Whether a fan of the series or just looking for another title to play with friends, Fire Emblem Warriors makes for a great time with plenty of content to keep players coming back for more of its perfectly-captured action.

Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred continues the story of Diablo IV into its next inevitable chapter. The story continues in a satisfying way as players explore the new region of Nahantu. The Spiritborn class is a blast to play, the mix of a martial artist with different Guardian Spirits providing support has potential for numerous viable builds. Ultimately though, even with the new area, vocation and other new features added, Vessel of Hatred offers more of what players can expect from Diablo IV.

Whether new to the series or a long time veteran, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is the perfect balance of challenge, adventure and fun that shouldn’t be missed out on.

Codemasters have crafted an almost perfect racing game with Dirt Rally.

Littlewitch Romanesque is a gorgeous, enthralling visual novel. Not only is the magical storyline interesting but the cast of distinct characters really bring the world to life. This is counterbalanced by a surprisingly addictive gameplay system which pairs luck with strategy in order to take on tons of quests.

Street Fighter V was one of the biggest disappointments at its launch but over the past four years has evolved into one of the best fighting games of this generation. Street Fighter V: Champion Edition is the definitive version of Street Fighter V (for now). With the exception of the increased roster, the additional content beyond Arcade Edition is largely cosmetic, so this may not be a necessary upgrade people who are satisfied with the their current roster and don’t care about costumes and stages. For everyone else this is the version of Street Fighter V to get. Between the top-notch fighting mechanics and fan service there are countless hours of entertainment to be found in Street Fighter V: Champion Edition.

Those already tightly entrenched in the series won’t have anything to scoff at. Significantly improved over its predecessor, Dark Souls III will have players immersed in the deep and rich fiction that From Software is known for.

To put it simply, Stephen’s Sausage Roll might be some of the meatiest and most delicious food for the mind you’ll taste all year.

Musicus! might not be the best game from Overdrive, but it’s high on the list. The sad thing about this release is it’s the last game that Overdrive will release. The company has always worked toward creating games they want to make, rather than focusing on popular trends that will sell the best. Their commitment to their own ideals allowed them to produce yet another excellent visual novel. Fans owe it to themselves to pick this one up. Those who have yet to play an Overdrive game should also look into this title. Musicus! is a wonderful visual novel with flamboyant characters, awesome music and an enjoyable and emotional story that you won’t soon forget.

A beautiful, emotional journey through some of the best looking environments on the PlayStation 4, Abzû was well worth the wait.

If you’ve somehow managed to stay away from the phenomenon this entire time, then Ultra Street Fighter IV is the perfect gateway to becoming a World Warrior.

Hades is no less than an absolute masterpiece, easily a contender for Supergiant’s finest work yet, and a candidate for the year’s best game. It delivers truly classic action in almost every sense of the word, has the perfect level of difficulty, looks breathtaking and has a unique take on Greek mythology that hits just the right tone, always finding a way to keep you coming back for more, always playing to see what’s next. It’s the stuff of legends and everyone involved should be proud of what they’ve made.

Despite the new changes and how much they add to and improve the overall gameplay, it still feels like the same fun zombie killing game at its core.

It's a great game and worth a try if you're brave and/or a masochist. [July 2007, p.64]

If you have someone who you’ve always wanted to experience video games with but never could convince them to play, give Tales from the Borderlands a shot. This story, these characters and this product are simply too good for only a small segment of the population to enjoy.