Forza Horizon 5 is undoubtedly a visual showcase and technical benchmark for PC and Xbox Series X owners. If you have the hardware to run this game on PC, this is the choice to make.

The best thing about Episode 1 is that you can jump in with the series here and still fall in love with it. The core formula remains so good that you can either play the series chronologically with this first or go in release date order as many will do and still have a lot of fun. For anyone who loved the first, get the season pass and have fun as each release comes out. For newcomers or those who dabbled in the series a bit, at least try out the first episode and experience a dramatic narrative that will make you a fan of the franchise.

Whether you’re someone who wants to play one of the toughest games of the year, or someone who just enjoys pure gameplay at its finest, you’re doing yourself a disservice not giving N++ a shot. You’ll die a million times, but every single one of those failures will remind you that success is just around the corner, and that’s a beautiful, beautiful thing.

It goes without saying that these classic Mario titles hold up extremely well. Each one is still fantastic and even Mario 64 manages to remain fun without feeling outdated aside from its slightly wonky camera. Neither Sunshine or Galaxy have seen official re-releases since their debut in most countries and Super Mario 64 only had a mediocre virtual console port that was generally hated due to severe input lag. It’s fantastic to have all three of these now available on Switch and they absolutely hold up. It’s a huge disappointment that at the time of this review Nintendo has said that this collection will only be available until the end of March 2021 but hopefully they see some other form of release so it can be enjoyed for the entirety of the Switch’s lifetime. Anyone looking to play through the games again or try them out for the first time shouldn’t miss out on Super Mario 3D All-Stars.

It’s not worth the double (or quadruple) for those already with the game, but it’s still an incredible adventure any way it’s sliced.

Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road is a comprehensive experience in the soccer RPG franchise. It’s a fascinating take on the genre that provides a slow build for the story mode and a lengthy look at the franchise’s past. The emotional heights of the main narrative and the compelling way it turns the fundamentals of soccer into RPG disputes is a remarkably strong reminder of what makes the Inazuma Eleven franchise unique.

Showcasing the expert storytelling abilities Visual Art’s/Key’s are renowned for, Planetarian ~the reverie of a little planet~ is a visual novel that fans of the genre should be required to play if they missed out on it previously.

Not just a cult-classic, but a classic full-stop.

Tormentor X Punisher is loud, mean, occasionally unfair, intentionally ugly and thoroughly awesome. Its attitude infuses every aspect of the game, from enemy designs, the chunky low-resolution art and especially the excellent voicework that, yes, is repetitive but a major part of setting the tone. Death is brutal and easy, survival guaranteed to be short, and the leaderboards populated with people who are basically wizards. Getting a score over 100,000 is a feat to be proud of and I’m not ashamed to admit I’ve only done it once so far. Dying is inevitable, but not the point of Tormentor X Punisher. While the pink-haired demon hunter isn’t surviving this, she’s going to take as many minions and bosses as the game can churn out as she swears like a sailor to her last furious breath.

At this point, the first three original Mana titles have all received remakes. Trials of Mana not only wipes the floor with the other two, but stands so far above them it’s hard to believe the vast difference. It’s a fantastic remake that captures the original story and characters with an amazing new way to enjoy it.

PixelJunk Monsters 2 is straightforward enough to be enjoyed by casual gamers, but trying to perfect it on the highest difficulty will provide a worthwhile challenge to the hardcore gamers.

Demon’s Souls is the game to get a PlayStation 5 for and arguably the best launch title in the last couple of decades.

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.

If there is one way to best describe the experience that Episode 5: Polarized has to offer, then it can easily be done through the word that Dontnod Entertainment specifically chose to feature in the title of the fifth and final episode for Life Is Strange. It will no doubt polarize people on whether or not they believe it’s a satisfying (or fulfilling) conclusion to what has been such a spectacular title.

LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is a triumphant reinvention of the LEGO series, successfully adapting the entirety of the mainline Star Wars films, building out a galaxy filled with activities to pursue and reinventing gameplay mechanics for a new generation.

Everything that sold everyone on College Football 25 is bigger and better in College Football 26. The game simply can't be put down and the game modes are more encompassing than they were last year. Road to Glory will have you making multiple characters and Dynasty Mode will have you hooked on the updated aspects with recruiting and crossplay with your friends online. 300 coaches, multiple playbooks, 136 teams and the updated Team Builder with a better online process makes College Football 26 an unprecedented experience. The elephant in the room is the physics-based gameplay as the extremely upbeat and snappy gameplay from last year takes a slight dip in favor of more realism and that's truly felt. Bugs that weren't nearly this apparent last year are here at launch. The physics-based gameplay starts to shift the franchise towards Madden, and a big selling point to many on this series is that it isn't Madden. In the end, however, there's an impeccable College Football replication in EA Sports College Football 26.

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

Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse works just as well on a console as it did on a handheld.

The Alters delivers such a high-quality experience in gameplay, graphics and storytelling that it’s easy to forget that this isn’t an AAA game (or priced like one, either). Exploration and survival-management gameplay pair perfectly with the themes of death, purpose and trauma that recur throughout the plot, making for a memorable and unique adventure that keeps you on your toes at all times.

MultiVersus shows there's enough promise to expand the platform fighter genre with a new focus on 2v2 gameplay and intriguing movesets for each character. We didn't call Mortal Kombat a Street Fighter clone, despite them sharing a 2D plane. Nintendo didn't even begin the platform fighter genre: it only popularized it. The term "Smash Clone" is a demeaning one, which is a huge turnoff for many. MultiVersus should get love for its concept, and as it continues to build, hopefully it will get its time in the sun.

Forza Horizon 4 is an outstanding evolution of not only the Forza franchise, but the open world racing genre as a whole. Bolstered by an in-depth and varied roster of vehicles and race types, seamlessly executed multiplayer, a stunning world to explore that is altered by truly game-changing seasons, hundreds of on-road challenges and collectibles, and a nearly endless amount of customization for races, cars, characters and more, Forza Horizon 4 proves that Playground Games still has plenty left in the tank for their racing series.

There are many titles like The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles which never get localized for more fans to enjoy, and although it took six years, it’s safe to say it was worth waiting for. Perhaps the best part is regardless of one’s history with the series, anyone can give this entry a try as it’s a proper prequel that requires no prior knowledge in order to dive into right off the bat.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is the biggest accomplishment in the series thus far. It leaves a lasting impact and is hard to put down for even a second when the smashing seems to beckon fighters back. Smashing opponents has never felt so fun, fluid and easy to pick up. While there’s places we can hope to see improvement, such as online, it’s still the best smash title in the series for party players and competitive alike. Ultimate is likely to stay around for a long time to come, as it’s hard to imagine any other Nintendo fighting title topping it for in a good number of years.

Even with its imperfections, Hitman: Absolution is a magnificent achievement that goes well beyond expectations and will lead future stealth action titles into a better tomorrow.

Earth Defense Force 2025 is a fantastic example of everything that makes pure action gaming so much fun, packed with replay value and over the top set pieces, and a more than worthy sequel that tops its predecessor in every way.

As familiar the high standard has become for a series this grandiose, not only have Ryu Ga Gotoku matched the expectations set by 2020's Like A Dragon before it, with Infinite Wealth, they’ve just about exceeded them all over again. All the style and substance from prior is here and accounted for from its intriguing plot, to its assortment of side activities, to a battle system cleverly integrated.

If you love adventure games and have yet to play The Lion’s Song then jump aboard as soon as possible. Those who don’t dabble in the genre due to challenging puzzle gameplay should also take notice given the relatively simplistic gameplay here. Finally, anyone who loves to be taken for an emotional ride will absolutely get that by playing through all four episodes. Whether you opt to play on Steam or mobile you’ll be in for a splendid storytelling experience with The Lion’s Song.

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered takes players back to what these games used to be and looks great doing it. As it includes all of the major expansions and comes at a discounted price, it’s also a fantastic value. Despite playing the original to death, I’ve put way too much time into this fresh release and feel like I haven’t done even half of what I want to do with it. A perfect companion to the also highly-recommend Burnout Paradise Remastered, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered should serve as a baseline for what these titles should be in the future.

This is a work of speculative fiction that allows the player to speculate for themselves, starting from a similar place each time but potentially reaching vastly different conclusions. It’s also a tightly-designed, well-balanced 4X game that is sure to consume many gamers’ free time in the coming months and years.

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

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.

One of the year’s best orchestrations of gameplay and presentation in unison, Card Shark is a smart, but above all, brilliantly-crafted journey of cunning and deception.

Stellar Blade delivers masterclass gameplay, spectacular visuals and a compelling universe. It no doubt will draw comparisons to Nier and its successor, but what Shift Up has done is improved upon the formula greatly in creating one of the best action games of the year.

The Beatles: Rock Band is very much so geared towards fans of the band. Some aspects might not mean much to you if you don’t know the band very well, but you will still have fun playing through the songs themselves.

Those who already own the release on consoles have no reason to double dip unless they want to play it on the go, but for those who prefer the portable experience, Mega Man Legacy Collection is a winner on 3DS.

Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers is what MMOs should aspire to, telling a story for the ages and engaging their players with evolving mechanics. It’s an exquisite adventure that needs to be experienced.

It’s Angry Birds meets tower defense meets beat ‘em up meets crack cocaine levels of addictiveness in a hodgepodge amalgamation of stuff that absolutely should not work as well as it does.

Swinging across Marvel’s version of Manhattan not only looks good thanks to the beautiful lighting and attention to detail, but it has never felt so good either, being a relaxing and peaceful experience. Unfortunately, nothing is without its faults, as controls can be a bit finicky, and like all open world games, you’ll find occasional graphical anomalies. That’s not mention the side quests are a little lacking. This seems like a perfect fit to tell stories of lesser known or lower profile Spider-Man villains, but among the various side quests in the campaign, there’s only one that fits the bill. Regardless, Insomniac Games perfectly captures Peter Parker’s comical bravado, all while establishing a world ripe for its own unique expansion. In the end, Marvel’s Spider-Man is the most realized Spider-Man game yet.

Although it comes in the wake of dozens before it, Shadow of Mordor is the definitive Middle-earth experience. It smartly avoids trying to adapt already existing plot points, instead crafting its own unique story and overall experience.

Horizon Forbidden West’s PC release is a joy to play to get a refresher on the latest game in this series of breathtaking games so far. It's a blast to run around and experience the world the game offers with maximum detail. The work put into the game to make it run smoothly on PC is amazing. Players will be happy with this PC port and can look forward to experiencing the game once again without any restrictions or graphical limitations on it.

If nothing else, Company of Heroes 2 proves that Relic really is in the top eschelon of RTS developers. This is the crème de la crème, people. Do not be the one to pass it up.

Atomic Heart keeps on going and throws everything at the wall, from large set-pieces to quiet moments of exploration, packed encounters or tough single enemies, stealth areas that you can bull on through if sneaking isn’t your thing, and plenty of little puzzles to add more variety to a game that already had plenty. Whatever lies at the heart of Facility 3826, whatever the project ends up meaning, Atomic Heart is an incredible adventure into the retro-future history of a Russia that never existed.

Rogue Legacy is pure action platforming addiction, endlessly playable and fun from its low level beginning to high-powered end.

Super Mario Maker is a special video game, period. You could include all of the lengthy, metaphor-laden nonsense that your little brain can come up with as to what is and isn’t perfect about it, but at the end of the day, this is a title that allows you to create and play Super Mario Bros. levels for as long as your thumbs can handle.

Oddly enough, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is more about the journey than the destination. It’s sobering, funny, heartfelt, and inspirational all at once, sprinkled with some real life lessons in between. If this is what Starbreeze Studios is truly capable of, then we’re ready to see plenty more — especially if it means more interesting experimental mechanics like the ones exhibited here.

While learning how to Dream Sculpt is challenging with a steep learning curve, Dreams does not let its players flounder. With some practice, anyone can create whatever content comes to mind. Despite it being time consuming, Dreams delivers certain freedoms not found in other games. Dreams is a perfect title for players seeking a robust sandbox with exceptional creation tools. It just goes to show that anyone with a dream can make it a reality.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II continues the Calvard story arc set by its predecessor and also reaches the standard of excellence set by it. Whether tackling 4SPG jobs from the bulletin board, grinding for gear or playing minigames in the Märchen Garten or trying to advance through the main story, things never get boring in Trails Through Daybreak II. The roster of characters is varied and interesting, and watching their own history and motivations play out in the context the main story helps make them feel alive. Progressing through the main story campaign is kept interesting through the combined force of a strong narrative and great battle system, but the player can always take a break and use the Märchen Garten as a playground. These factors make The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II not only a great addition to the franchise, but an incredible JRPG in general.

Those looking for a new 3DS game to sink at least 100 hours into should buy The Fafnir Knight; it’s the definitive Etrian Odyssey game.

SuperHot VR is one of the best games VR has seen yet. It’s a little bit short and on rare occasions the AI goes a bit loopy, but during the 99% of the time when everything is trying to kill you, it’s an incredible rush.

Tomb Raider is not just a reboot, but a revelation in a series that had long passed its prime.

Ultimately, though, Lost Winds is a wonderful little game, and a great promise of what’s to come.

Much like the protagonists, Grounded sees Obsidian heading into new brand new territory that’s still familiar in some ways, and their expedition ends up paying off big-time. Excelling as a survival game with a nice and meaty challenge, an adventure game with a lot of secrets and goods to hunt for and a highly-enjoyable story, and a visual spectacle as you wander around and take in the eye-popping sights of now-majestic backyard clutter (and the more frightening sights of the impressive and imposing insects), this is one trip that’s tiny yet epic at the same time and is not to be missed out on.

With a kickass, overcharged aesthetic and silky-smooth mechanics, BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma is one of the finest fighting games available today.

Concrete Genie could have simply been a game about painting and creating virtual pets that you can interact with and it still would have been a fantastic little game. But thanks to some fun action, nice puzzles and a beautiful world, it becomes something even more. The fun is in the creation, crafting a vivid world out of the pages you find and then letting your charming Genies play in it. It’s just one of those games that can be perfectly described as “feel-good.” You’ll walk away from it with a warm heart and a big smile on your face after the credits roll, yet end up diving back in so that you can find every secret. Concrete Genie is one of the PS4’s most notable highlights this year and PlayStation fans should be sure not to miss it.

Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection is a great example of how a remaster should be, making three unique DS titles accessible once again on modern devices. Although Star Force comes as one possible evolution to what the Battle Network series proposed, the titles are still unlike anything else on the market in its combination of deckbuilding and action. The new collection is a complete pack that anyone interested in exploring the games for the first time or coming back to them should get.

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

Whether you’re a comic book or PC gaming enthusiast, Marvel’s Spider-Man is well worth experiencing for the first time or once more.

Psychonauts 2 is one of the year’s most enjoyable games and one of the best modern platformers of the past few years. The creativity in the visuals and level design is still on display at full blast, the story is superb and shows no fear when it comes to tackling mature subjects and the action is nice and intense, creating a perfect level of challenge.

While not a traditional Mario or Rabbids game, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle contains enough elements from both franchises to appeal to fans of either series. The lighthearted humor and silly visuals combined with a surprisingly deep battle system make this unexpected crossover a delight to play.

Boasting the tightest multiplayer of the series and one of the strongest campaigns, Advanced Warfare proves that Call of Duty is here to stay — and it’s welcome.

It's a splendid casual game for commuters or for people who simply wish to pass the day faster than a flip of a Mario coin.

More like an effort-intensive relationship than an adrenaline-inducing one-night-stand, Transistor is a must-play for those who are committed to its cause. However, those who are looking for an instantly-gripping cheap thrill should look elsewhere as this is a game that must be seen through to the very last second.

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.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is one of the most cinematic superhero games ever created. It’s a little shorter than its predecessor, but it includes a memorable main story and some of the best side quests found in an open world game. Kraven ends up being a more compelling villain than originally thought, and whenever Venom and his symbiotic abilities appear, it’s an absolute treat.

Anybody who loved anything The Behemoth has done before will dig this, as will platforming fans who were raised on Super Mario Bros. and enjoy a challenging game of Super Meat Boy from time to time.

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.

Based on the franchise’s history, Diablo IV has large boots to fill, but does an admiral job of meeting this longtime fan’s expectations. Diablo IV maintains the core gameplay that made it popular while combining the best elements of the the previous games. The continuous open world is an improvement over the completely separate acts with an intriguing story that feels more nuanced than the previous entries. All the elements of of a great action RPG are present, most importantly Diablo’s reward loop system where players can spend years playing through new seasons and characters to experiment with different builds and try to collect the best equipment. The gameplay is repetitive and simple but is still a joy to binge play, especially with friends.

Nioh won’t go easy on you, but if you’re up to the test, you’ll find an incredible amount of rich and rewarding content. With the PlayStation 5 Nioh Remastered Collection introducing both 4K and 120fps modes, beautifully rendering the mystical worlds onto your screens, the two Nioh titles remain some of the most gratifying character action games on the market.

On its own, the remake of Resident Evil 3 is another hallmark achievement for Capcom. It may not satisfy purists of the original, but there’s no reason that fans of what the RE2 remake accomplished won’t enjoy this.

With enough combat goodness to satisfy even the most truculent warmongers, a variable Marianas Trench of depth in its customization and laughs aplenty, A Promise Rewritten isn’t only the Vitas latest proof-of-worth, it’s also its strongest.

Half-Life: Alyx is an incredible journey, worth every second of the nineteen hours from start to epic finish, and an adventure worthy not only of the Half-Life name but also the enhanced expectations that grew during the series’ thirteen year absence.

Not only is Episode 3 of Tales from the Borderlands a fantastic entry into a fantastic series, but it sets the stage for a thrilling final two episodes.

Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom excels in delivering a top-notch JRPG by creating a magical world filled with great characters and visuals.

The only downside is that GlaDOS has no new speaking parts, making the challenge levels feel lifeless. [Dec 2008, p.56]

Forza Horizon 3 retains everything we’ve come to love about the open world racer while incrementally improving upon its formula. The leap isn’t as significant as it was between the first two games, but Australia ends up being a highly appealing setting to drive through.

Persona 4: Dancing All Night has managed to surpass all expectations in what it set out to do. This love letter to Persona 4’s music and fans hits every single note.

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.

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.

This is one of the best console ports in recent history, as it manages to fully capture the spirit of the original while improving upon it in nearly every way.

With improvements and additions to the tried and true formula, the lackluster single-player can’t hold the game down — the explosive multiplayer playground simply must be experienced.

Milestone always seems to put more of an effort into its MotoGP series than the others. MotoGP 21 continues to separate itself from the pack to the point that it’s standing alone in the racing genre. The deep Career Mode gets even deeper this year and continues to be the best one out there. It’s not convoluted or difficult to navigate besides the fact that it still doesn’t notify you if an engineer is working on something else before allocating them to a new R&D. What shines the most this year is the racing itself thanks largely in part to the DualSense. The haptic feedback completely changes how you race and gives more control of the bike. The Neural A.I., A.N.N.A., is also the best version that has been seen since its inception, but it still isn’t perfect. To put a cherry on top, MotoGP 21 retails for only $49.99, including next-generation options. If you’ve ever been on the fence about dipping your toes into this series, this is the year to do it.

A cozy indie game that has players embark on a whimsical adventure through a vibrant and charming world. With its adorable characters, dynamic gameplay mechanics and attention to detail, Promenade offers an experience that fans of old-school platformers and adventure games will love.

South Park: The Fractured But Whole is loaded with toilet humor and enough F bombs to make Andrew Dice Clay and Sam Kinison blush, but anyone following South Park over the past twenty years should be expecting that.

The thirteen year old remake is arguably the best game in the long running series, not only staying true to its source material, but expanding upon it greatly with new content directly built into the core story.

This year’s most unique game is something that gamers far and wide should experience for themselves, be it as a pallet cleanser in between massive AAA releases or as something to show them the power of the medium itself.

As a single-player campaign, Blackrock Mountain isn’t quite as well-tuned as Curse of Naxxramas, but it makes up for that shortcoming by somehow being even funnier.

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is a dark fantasy take on the Three Kingdoms. The difficulty is high, almost seeming insurmountable at first, but part of what makes Wo Long great is how the difficulty isn’t unfair. The gameplay is structured where players are rewarded for learning the fighting style of their enemies and using their mastery of their own skills against them. It can be frustrating and requires patience to master, but it’s such a great feeling to finally overcome a strong adversary. Challenge alone does not make a game great, but Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty excels in every area from artistic design to gameplay mechanics. Watching nameless warrior execute their different moves is akin to a ballet of brutality. The gameplay mechanics are are smooth and responsive as the game is challenging, making it a joy to invest the time in mastering the battle system. This isn’t the Three Kingdoms setting we were expecting, but it is the Three Kingdoms game we needed.

Pikmin 4 feels so much different than that with such an inviting urge to pull in new players to this world where they can be their own individual and be a part of the crew looking to save their friends and allies and work alongside these mysterious plant creatures to make it out alive. The biggest accomplishment of Pikmin 4 is the fact that it’s so packed full of fun that it’s hard to stop playing. This is not a title that should be missed out on by Pikmin fans or those who have been waiting to finally try it out.

In the end, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered is well worth experiencing for veterans of the title and hopefully the rest will see what all the commotion is about.

Naughty Dog has done it again, creating a cinematic marvel that sets the bar for the action genre. There are a couple of off moments throughout the story and the multiplayer, while a decent component, lacks the variety other games deliver, but the thirteen hour single player campaign will blow you away. It’s filled with an intriguing mystery, heart-wrenching emotional scenes, incredibly over the top set pieces, and of course the humor fans have come to love from our plucky (now older) hero and his trusty sidekicks.

Dead Space 2 is one of the most disturbing, grotesque and unsightly games I've ever played...but it's so damn good.

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.

Yeah, both games are a bit too talky, and somewhat short as well, but they deliver high octane giant robot action with grace and skill. Both games hit the ground running, give the player a ton of power, and don't let up on the energy until done.

Dead Space 2 is one of the most disturbing, grotesque and unsightly games I've ever played...but it's so damn good.

Shuten Order is a fantastic text adventure that truly sets itself apart from the crowd with its brilliant use of multiple routes to create the complete story. Other than some technical issues that hold the game back, it’s an impressive feat that shows how the Too Kyo team knows very well how to tell compelling stories.

Yakuza Kiwami remakes the original game in a near-perfect way. Some may be disappointed over the lack of English voice acting, but the use of Japanese with English subtitles greatly increases the authenticity.

Delivering the full HD experience, Blizzard’s jump to current-gen consoles is a flying success.

Ys Seven might look like an old game trying to appear new under some fresh coats of polish, but putting that aside, it's just as fun now as it was seven years ago.