I got a gang of friends together to test it out and we spent hours unlocking songs and fooling around, but, because some of us are guitar heroes and some are guitar zeroes, having a truly quality time is a tougher than it should be. It's still well worth a look. [Nov 2007, p.63]

If you’re intoGuitar Hero, buy this game. It’s one of the most solid Guitar Hero titles yet and should keep you busy for a long time.

Dragon Quest XI is still one of those 100 hour RPGs that deserve the attention. It may falter in some spots, but it shines brightly in others. There’s no better time to get back into the slime-slaying business.

When compared to the original, Octopath Traveler II is largely more of the same but better. The battle system is just as enjoyable as it was the first time around with additional layers of strategy added. Solistia is a great new world to explore, and the added day and night cycle help make everywhere feel more alive. While at its core it plays like a classic turn-based JRPG, the Break and Boost system helps set it apart from the classics that inspired it. The HD-2D graphic style does a fantastic job in making Octopath Traveler II feel both contemporary and classic with one of the best soundtracks among recent games. It hits the sweet spot where it brings enough elements of contemporary gaming to the classic JRPG format.

Core Keeper is a strong survival game that can easily chew through the hours, providing a great balance between adventure and homesteading. There's a sense that no idea was left out, whether that be a constant pet companion or minecart rail lines, and while these may not get fully fleshed out, this is a rare occasion where quantity manages to make up for depth. The pet levels up and sometimes enemies drop treats that give it a nice experience boost, and that's all it needs to do. Minecart goes on tracks, riding it beats walking and maybe it doesn't need a complicated system of switches and sidings to get the job done. The underground world of Core Keeper stretches on for functionally forever, filled with chasms, monsters, resources beyond measure and even an underground sea. There's a huge amount of ways to play with it all and sometimes that's more than enough.

The Taken King has come and he’s brought a much-improved experience.

Code: Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~ is an excellent story with creative, likable characters.

Though the ending doesn’t fully deliver on the hours of build-up, it’s still a worthwhile tale to explore. The combination of roguelike design with third-person bullet-hell gameplay mechanics is a true treat, keeping players on their toes and continuously challenging them to get better. Returnal can get repetitive, particularly in the second half due to the repetition of layouts and long bouts between the biomes. Still, the addictive, fast-paced nature of the gameplay helps keep players engaged. Holding it all together is a beautiful presentation filled with next-gen flair and spectacular audio design. Housemarque has done a wonderful job with Returnal and it’s well worth living, dying and repeating to get to the final credits.

Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 is being published both as a standalone title with the full package (at a bargain compared to other just launched fighters) as well as a DLC pack for half the price for owners of the last game. Because of this, existing fans and newcomers are both getting the best deal. This is a title that comes highly recommended to anyone with a penchant for fast, flashy fighters on the 2D plane. While the genre isn’t hurting for options at the moment, this is a game that can hold its own against any challenger, as long as it doesn’t ask me to play as Answer.

Once again, Turn 10 Studios proves that they’re at the top of the heap when it comes to creating impeccable racing mechanics. Car porn is a term thrown around a lot by racing game fans and Forza Motorsport 7 is just that. It’s beautiful, a pleasure to the ears, mechanically sound and just incredibly fun to play. Variety is a huge component to what makes this such an appealing and sought after series and nothing was skimped this time around. With around 700 cars to collect, 32 tracks with multiple variations of each, a diverse set of tuning and customizations and dynamic weather effects, there is enough content here to last a long time. Also, playing online will always be a highly-engaging and especially entertaining activity, having seen so many crashes and overly assertive drivers. Sure, the campaign mode won’t win over any fans and the implementation of loot boxes can be a concerning trend for the future, but they are small blips on an overly comprehensive racer. For fans of racing games such as this, Forza Motorsport 7 offers more than you can possibly hope for. It’s a top-tier racing experience.

Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights is a fantastic metroidvania. It doesn’t do anything to revolutionize the genre, but it does excel at creating at creating a memorable experience that follows the familiar metroidvania template while still being unique. The visual style and amazing soundtrack complement each other well, creating a sense of tranquility in a desolate and horrific world. The challenge hits that sweet spot where the difficulty is high but victory is never out of reach, learning the enemy behaviors and getting an understanding of the collected abilities will allows players who persist to see the story to its end. Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights is a must play for fans of the genre as it’s simply one of the best metroidvanias ever developed.

With an absolutely stellar presentation, some of the most memorable tracks picked from the last game, an arsenal of modes to play, and one of the lengthiest stories in a fighting game, Persona 4 Arena has everything a fighter should have, plus more.

Much like last year’s treatment with Grim Fandango, Double Fine have successfully restored one of the true classics of the adventure game world and it is glorious indeed. While not as deep and story-rich as last year’s offering, Day of the Tentacle more than makes up for it in humor, style, unique gameplay and a truckload of charm.

Cyberpunk 2077 combines an engaging story with a huge open world to explore, filled with memorable and interesting characters to work with and plenty of ways to kill them. There are bugs, which is also part of a bigger discussion about the ethics of releasing a game with technical issues with the mentality of patching it later. Currently on PC the Day Zero Patch has reduced their occurrence and there haven’t been any major game-breaking ones, but even so it will be at least another patch or two before it can be said it runs flawlessly. Hopefully with the scheduled patches over the next few months the console versions reach a point where they too are worth playing, but maybe Cyberpunk 2077 will fare better on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.

Once again cementing its status as a JRPG masterpiece, Xenoblade Chronicles 3D is a game you owe it to yourself to experience.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD brings one of the Zelda franchises most beloved games to a contemporary platform, revamping some of the features and making room for amiibo functionality. While flawed in some ways, it gives longtime fans a good reason to replay it.

It might not be the most essential or comprehensive inclusion for the game, but it’s still great where it counts: pure, adrenaline-drenched, space-blasting fun.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel is hands down the best JRPG this year — and that’s saying a lot considering how many great ones have come out in the past twelve months. But what it has that most of those others don’t is heart.

The PC version of Injustice 2 is just as great as the console version, but currently comes cheaper on the consoles.

Cadence of Hyrule is a wonderfully unique experience for anyone looking to dive into something a little different, and is a fun new way for fans of Necrodancer to try a completely different style of dancing to the beat.

An action RPG that is designed to consume your life. With countless quests that can be tackled solo or with friends, it is easy to sink hundreds of hours into Generations, but this should not surprise anyone who is familiar with the franchise. Doing all the training missions makes everything get off to a slow start, but given how much there is to do here it is a worthwhile endeavor since they take all the complexities of this title and break them down to their simplest components.

Inscryption manages to combine an expertly-crafted card game, a nail-biting tale of horror and enjoyable escape room adventures into another genre-defying gem and easily one of the year’s best games. Whether you come for the gameplay and strategy, the story and atmosphere, or both, you’ll walk away awestruck at the sheer, brilliant madness you just experienced. Daniel Mullins does it again, and once again, we urge readers not to read the reviews or other coverage as much as possible and just go in blind, experiencing this twisted odyssey for yourself. You’ll be glad you did.

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is an exciting step forward for the series that continues to surprise with its increasingly deep combat, gratifying exploration and joyful presentation. Ubisoft has embraced freedom in all senses of the word for this sequel, whether its additional real-time elements during combat, the ability to switch out and upgrade heroes and Sparks at will for endless combinations, or the oodles of optional content that’s crammed into every planet. The predictable and occasionally long-winded story along with late game encounters that severely punish players for mistakes or missed opportunities may keep some players from seeing this journey to its conclusion. Even so, the game’s continued willingness to evolve its approach to new battles and to encourage and reward curiosity in between encounters combine to create a well-paced and engaging tactics game that Switch owners and fans of the genre shouldn’t hesitate to check out.

The Talos Principle expects you to be smart and knows you’ve got the brain to figure it out, and the reward for it being right is the a sense of satisfaction at solving something properly tricky.

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

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

Even if it still doesn’t lead to some sort of resurgence in extreme sports games, OlliOlli World can still stand as one of the most unique and fun skateboarding games of all time, one that’s perfectly suited for both novices and masters alike thanks to its intense and immaculate level design, massive variety of tricks to pull off and tons of challenges to keep players coming back for more. Top it all off with a superbly psychedelic style and setting to make things pop, and what you have is a skateboarding experience that may very well indeed be the closest to Gnarvana that you can get.

While not allowing for the subterranean trek through SR388 to fully flourish in its own individual right, Metroid: Samus Returns is nonetheless a highly enjoyable remake of one of the series’ more overlooked and forgotten entrants. With new items and gameplay mechanics added into the mix, not to mention the surprisingly tense confrontations with the many titular foes throughout, Nintendo’s own take on how Metroid 2 would and should fare in the modern age is frantic in its action but carefully balanced by the series’ slow-burning exploration. With Metroid Prime 4 looming on the horizon, the signs here at least are notably promising.

This mixed with AI problems, some glitches and an over-reliance on played-out concepts makes Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch a great JRPG, but overall, only a good game.

Buckshot Roulette is easily one of the year's most pleasant surprises, even if everything about its presentation is the opposite of "pleasant," ironically. It's a unique gem that puts a further twist on an already twisted bit of gambling, with gameplay that requires a sharp memory, a strategic mind and the occasional prayer towards Lady Luck. Throw in a warped industrial style that gives everything an eerie look and feel, and you have a delightfully deranged game more than worth taking a gamble on.

It feels that inXile have hit their stride with this latest installment and have continued to flesh out the Wasteland world that is committed to individuality. Wasteland 3 is a world of open adventure, thrills and a deluge of blood. So what are you waiting for, Ranger? Get out there.

I got a gang of friends together to test it out and we spent hours unlocking songs and fooling around, but, because some of us are guitar heroes and some are guitar zeroes, having a truly quality time is a tougher than it should be. It's still well worth a look. [Nov 2007, p.63]

It’s one of the most overwhelming experiences on the market, containing not only the best character development found in any RPG, but an open world that’s actually polished. The artistic and visual fidelity help with the immersion, but it’s the branching, player driven storyline and exquisitely layered combat system that create something special.

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is an action-packed mech epic for the ages. The narrative is some of the strongest ever seen coming from Vanillaware. While there are a couple plot holes and gameplay can become repetitive in certain missions, the title is a strong and original work of art that’s packed with content. There are thirteen different protagonists with their own branching stories based on player decisions. All protagonists feel like fully-formulated characters — each also serving as a classic anime archetype. The characters are believable in this frenzied drama that takes players for a narrative ride. Emotional storytelling helps to set the tone for this sci-fi mystery and arcade-like gameplay makes for satisfyingly quick encounters. It’s a title with more to discover as we go and it’s a full package for any mech fan. Any fan of the genre would agree: 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is an instant mech classic.

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?

Even with these unfortunate and evident shortcomings on the technical side, The Outer Worlds is a rewarding and ultimately intriguing adventure to partake in. Delivering on that same kind of old-and-new synergy of RPG staples that have allowed this niche of AA-tier RPGs -- limitations notwithstanding -- to flourish in recent years.

While it would have been nice to have gotten new content or more Forbidden West improvements, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered delivers a still strong story, smooth gameplay at either 30 or 60fps and gorgeous visuals. Horizon 3 is still stubbornly far away, but Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered should hopefully make the wait a little easier.

Yakuza 0 is completely the same at its core, which will please many returning players to the game. This will also prove to be a great place to start for anyone looking to start the series from the chronological start. You’ve got an amazing port of an amazing game ready for you to jump into once again. Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut is a fantastic version of the game that does nothing but add to the experience that fans of the series adore, making it a great game to check out and play once again. If you’re new to Yakuza games, there isn’t a better starting point than this entry here and it's easily worth your time.

While it's an excellent game, it's hard to recommend Mass Effect 3 for the Wii U unless you missed out on the series before and only have the Wii U to play it on. Even with this 'special edition' including the From Ashes and Extended Cut DLC to extend the campaign, knowing that not all of it will be coming to this version hurts its overall value. It's hampered more by the upcoming ME Trilogy release coming to both the 360 and PS3 that will allow you to get all three core games (sans DLC) for the same price as this. Given that both the PS3 and 360 versions of ME 3 go for $25 tops now, it's impossible to recommend if you own either of those systems.

An intriguing tale full of interesting world-building and appealing character moments alike, brief visual and performance issues aside, The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero — specifically for those on Switch — should not go overlooked.

Pillars of Eternity: Complete Edition is a proper send off before Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire is released next year. Simply the PC game and its expansions released for console in their original form -- with the only changes being ones that make it playable on console -- those already familiar with Eora don't need to revisit on console, but any RPG fan who prefers console to PC gaming owes it to themselves to check this one out.

Bravely Default is a flagship series in the making and worth exploring even for the uninitiated; its craftsmanship is simply too good a testament to the medium to pass up.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order built a solid foundation on which to build a sequel, and Respawn Entertainment has happily obliged. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor takes what worked in that first game and expands it significantly. It’s bigger, grander and more ambitious, with a few trade-offs.

In the end, the overall package is a gripping experience for fans of the genre. The studio has taken everything they’ve learned over the last decade and created something special. Even with its shortcomings, Starfield is a memorable experience through-and-through.

Despite its shortcomings in the multiplayer — easily forgotten and waved off as an unnecessary add-on — and the rare instances of a mechanically loose screw, DOOM is undeniably one of the best looking and sounding shooters there has been for some time.

Esoteric Ebb is a fantastic RPG with a gripping narrative and plenty of options to explore. There’s so much to do and so many threads to explore that it can be a little overwhelming at first, especially with the lack of a simpler list of potential tasks or other guidance. For those that insist on it, what you get is a full-course meal into a mesmerizing fantasy world.

Nearly one year later, Night in the Woods remains one of the most quotable and passion-fueled indie titles in recent years. While the Switch version’s technical issues does hold it back from being the best platform to experience the game on, the solid presentation, equal-parts socially-relevant and comedic dialogue and welcome additions to the core game keep Night in the Woods a must-play title for those who are experiencing or have had an emotional stretch of time as a young adult or simply those looking for a well-told adventure title.

The Wii U version of the title is practically the same as the other console versions, but unlike Wii U ports that originally came out months ago, it's possible that prospective buyers have still not purchased it. If that's the case, the Wii U version is as fine option as any, but those who have the game have absolutely no reason to buy it again. Still, forgetting its a port, Assassin's Creed III is the best game in the Wii U launch line-up and should be a must-buy for those yet to experience its incredible adventure.

While it isn’t perfect and there are limitations evident in each episode, Life Is Strange sets a new precedent for episodic gaming and reiterates why it’s a bona fide contender for 2015’s GOTY, despite facing fierce competition for that distinguished accolade.

Hotline Miami is an outstanding title that manages to stand out despite both retro-styled games and overhead shooters being crowded genres.

There are technical issues here and there, some that will cause frustration, but this still is a sensational port for both those who want to double dip and those who have yet to play the RPG. It may not be perfect, but Final Fantasy XV Windows Edition is the dose of Final Fantasy we all need.

As it stands, I personally rank this a good bit below the Dreamcast original in terms of quality, but above all other installments.

For all its occasional grievances — that don’t add up to too much — it’s the intriguing mystery as much the appeal of its investigative leads across many a conversation where the strengths of The Forgotten City end up standing out most of all.

Metal Gear Solid Delta is as good, if not better, than the original, thanks to the myriad of quality-of-life improvements that make it more up to modern functional standards. There are pacing issues near the middle of the campaign, but otherwise, this is something the Metal Gear Solid veterans will remember fondly and new players will appreciate.

Frostpunk 2 is pretty much everything you could want from a sequel. The game expands upon the foundation laid down by the original while introducing fresh systems and mechanics. There’s nothing particularly innovative to look forward to here, but that’s to be expected and isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Marvel’s Spider-Man perfectly revitalized the Spider-Man gaming franchise back in 2018 and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales is an excellent follow-up. Insomniac Games has built a game that uses the bones of the 2018 title to tell a new story and inject new gameplay elements. The story may not be all that surprising, but it’s told superbly with a strong focus on developing Miles and his friends and family.

As it stands, I personally rank this a good bit below the Dreamcast original in terms of quality, but above all other installments.

Not only is Forza Horizon a worthy addition to the series, but one of the most comprehensive racing experiences this generation.

With a pedigree of the original Chaos, plus chess, poker, X-Com and Hearthstone in its DNA, Chaos Reborn still feels like a refreshingly different type of strategy experience.

Huntdown is awesome, plain and simple. The action is intense and extremely fun, with big, superb levels, tons of firepower to work with, and a cavalcade of amazing enemy encounters and even more amazing bosses. Huntdown is an extremely enjoyable romp that does its coin-op predecessors proud when it comes to satisfying gameplay and perfectly-executed graphics, earning its spot alongside the other retro indie greats…or just alongside other great action games, period. If you’re reading this, then just go and buy it. You will most assuredly not be disappointed.

The extra year of development has helped Assassin’s Creed as a whole, as Origins is the next level for the series. It’s bigger, better and more robust than ever before, featuring an engaging combat system and surprisingly compelling side quests. That isn’t to say there isn’t anything wrong with it, though, as traversal remains clumsy, the mission structure can get repetitive and the AI can be either overly aggressive or plain dumb to the point of frustration.

For a seventeen-year-old game, Final Fantasy IX has aged incredibly well.

With a ten to fifteen-hour playtime, hidden unlockables to look for in every level, and fleshed-out online mode, Logan's Shadow is one of the PSP's best games to date. [Nov 2007, p.57]

The PC version is also an excellent port, offering a steady framerate, crisp visuals and well-established controls. If you missed out on this grand adventure when it was on the Xbox 360, here’s the perfect opportunity to fix that.

Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition is a fantastic experience, and one of the best games I've played this generation. Even with some graphical hiccups, it remains superior to the console counterparts, offering more content, better graphical options and a frame rate that is steady throughout. Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition is an experience like no other that will invoke a multitude of emotions while keeping you planted on the edge of your seat.

While its online play is far from perfect, Super Smash Bros. 3DS is an impeccably polished package that proudly brings the series back to its best while fearlessly treading new ground.

In what seems like commonplace lately, the PC version of DmC: Devil May Cry is the definitive version to play. While the mouse and keyboard controls aren't as precise as playing with a controller, the graphical upgrades and increase in frame rate make an already impressive game even more stunning.

To just put it bluntly: buy this game. Even if you’ve played both titles before, there’s enough here to warrant a purchase. Final Fantasy X, at least, should be played by anyone who considers themselves even the slightest fan of roleplaying games.

Yacht Club Games has delivered more than anyone ever could have hoped for, and created an experience that gamers young and old will thoroughly enjoy.

Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky is one of the finest JRPGs in the history of the genre, and that still holds true for its Steam debut.

Resogun Defenders is adrenaline in its most concentrated form and a fitting send-off to one of the best arcade experiences to ever hit a console, current-gen or otherwise.

To this date there has never been a football sim that has handled gameplay the way PES 2017 does. The gameplay, however, isn’t enough alone to save PES from feeling a bit outdated at times. If you’re willing to overlook the lack of official licensing and entry level mode diversity, then the act of playing football in PES 2017 can’t be matched.

It’s absolutely loaded with tracks and a strong difficulty curve, meaning that players are regularly being challenged to do increasingly difficult tracks.

What makes 3 Out of 10 work is that it’s just plain enjoyable, mixing smart commentary on the gaming industry with a great cast that can weather the madness of their world. Like most TV series it takes an episode or two to fully establish itself, but I played these as they came out and caught myself looking forward to the season finale. The needs of a game are different than those of a TV show, but 3 Out of 10 does an amazing job of fusing them together into an episodic adventure that demands a hopefully-quick turnaround for Season Two.

The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood is an amazing narrative journey exploring fate, politics, isolation, friendship and more, filled with a stellar cast and great writing and music, but the tarot card creation is what will easily have players addicted for hours, and the way it ties into the main story is done superbly. It makes for a truly unique adventure game that’s not to be missed out on, especially for those looking to get creative, go nuts and craft the motorcycle wolf card of their dreams.

Combining a gorgeous art style, intriguing setting and a surprisingly old-school yet welcome nod to platforming of the past, Jusant is a terrific adventure full of accomplished set-pieces and smart design throughout. A game that doesn’t outstay its welcome and as such, makes every one of its rock-climbing ascents a curious, environmental puzzle to work out. That Don’t Nod have crafted something mechanically, artistically and even thematically satisfying as this is one thing. That this marks the team’s second game released this year — solidifying the French developer’s growing, widening talents across a bevvy of fields — and one arguably even greater in its breadth of quality is another. For players, it may well revolve around the satisfaction of small accomplishments, but for Don’t Nod themselves, Jusant has all the hallmarks of being hailed the studio’s finest work yet.

Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana doesn’t deviate far from what Ys games are known for, it just takes what they do and expands on them. The story isn’t Shakespearean, but it’s more developed and interesting than what was shown in previous titles, and while the characters are still trope-based, they have more depth than seen in previous entries and this is on top of improvements in graphics and music composition. Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana shows the series maturing a bit but without deviating too far from what made us fans in the first place.

There’s so much to Nioh 2 that many gamers will simply miss out on due to its ruthless difficulty, something that feels unearned in its own right. Those able to overcome the difficulty curve will find complex and highly-versatile combat, inspirational enemy designs and an imaginative world to explore. Team Ninja has crafted something worth investing your time into, just maybe not hours into a single boss.

Valkyria Chronicles is a timeless classic, and this exceptional PC port only manages to improve upon it.

With the inclusion of Sunbreak, Monster Hunter Rise is finally a complete package and it does not disappoint. It’s the most fun and varied a Monster Hunter title has been since 4 Ultimate on the 3DS, taking some of the best elements from that title along with Generations Ultimate and the quality-of-life improvements found in Iceborne. The best part is with so much to do it’s shocking to realize that even more will come through free updates and it will be exciting to see just what other monsters decide to make a crash landing in Sunbreak throughout the year and into next. Anyone looking for a fantastic Monster Hunter package who hasn’t already picked it up needs to dive into Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak and begin one of the best hunts to date.

If you’re intoGuitar Hero, buy this game. It’s one of the most solid Guitar Hero titles yet and should keep you busy for a long time.

Both games featured in Bayonetta & Vanquish 10th Anniversary Bundle hold up well a decade after their original release. Aside from the visual upgrade nothing seems to be changed with the games but there wasn’t anything that needed to be changed. Both titles have great visuals and combat mechanics, and while neither game is incredibly long, they fit the bill for quality of gameplay over quantity. Fans of the newer PlatinumGames titles that missed these games during their original release owe it to themselves to check out these re-releases as they offer some of the best action combat from the previous console generation.

Zenzizenzic is a beautiful, fun and deadly shot of abstract twin-stick bullet hell madness, but with a little experience and a lot of technique, the massive firepower coming your way turns into a bullet-filled playground of fantastic precision gaming.

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.

A high-score run on Super Stardust HD is more a marathon than spirit, but it's still the best thing running on the PS3. [Oct 2007, p.66]

SteamWorld Dig 2 is a huge, expansive and utterly fantastic mining/platformer, with a great variety of challenges and plenty of tools to attack them with.

It's not perfect, but it is fun and addicting and really, who can ask for more than that? [June 2007, p.52]

This is a sweet, gentle, silly game for people who are still in touch with their inner nerdy child. [JPN Import; July 2007, p.71]

Episode 3 is an emotional thrill ride that had my jaw glued to the floor with spectacular ground-shaking events. If you thought the last episode was disturbing, you haven't seen anything yet.

Yakuza fans are in for a massive treat with Yakuza 0.

BattleBlock Theater doesn’t do anything particularly new, but that’s perfectly okay, because everything it does do it does without a hitch to speak of.

The Show 17 is fundamentally sound, but doesn’t move the sports genre forward. It will appease longtime fans that flock to it year after year, but until the series does something remarkably different, it’ll fall short of being able to stand out of the pack. This year’s version of The Show does a lackluster job of making it seem like anything more than a yearly roster update built upon the same foundation of last year’s game and that is by far the heaviest critique that can be handed down to any yearly sports title.

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.

An actual campaign, a good amount of Strikes, the Crucible and a plethora of side activities ensure that Destiny 2 will remain in your console’s disc-drive for a long time. In other aspects, however, Destiny 2 feels more of an expansion than it does a sequel.

Amid Evil does everything possible to let the player have a blast in the intricate landscapes of its mystical realms, tearing through a paper-thin quest to exterminate the corruption of the land while tackling the more important task battling and exploring every square inch of the map.

No extraction shooter stands out as much as ARC Raiders. The game can seem overwhelming at first as there isn't much direction, and the user interface feels like it's meant for a mouse and keyboard and not a controller. Once you leave Speranza and hop into the world, experience the atmosphere and the gunplay while meeting some people along the way, however, the experience quickly gets up to speed. If you're going solo, it's worth matchmaking and finding someone to lean on for certain things. The user interface offers small font with no direction and you'll miss key elements. The game runs and looks spectacular and offers a soundtrack that isn't from this universe. If you haven't tried an extraction adventure/shooter before and missed the boat on Helldivers 2, this is the one to get into.

This is the definitive first-person shooter experience, a no-brainer purchase for the vast majority of gamers, and the first true system-seller of the new console generation.

Still, it remains the same great game as before, so those who have yet to venture out into the great unknown as Death are guaranteed a great launch title with the Wii U version of Darksiders II.