Episode 4: Dark Room shows how far Dontnod has continued to push the limits of Life Is Strange, with every choice made, regardless of how significant it might be, having a real meaning behind it.

Through a exploration of Southern Indian cuisine and the preparation of it that’s been given a slight puzzler twist, Venba manages to serve up a captivating story about culture, motherhood, immigrant life and more, spiced up with likeable characters and great dialogue, and topped off with eye-catching visuals and an ear-pleasing soundtrack. It’s a short feast, but a filling one, so it would be wise to give it a shot. Would it help if we said that it might remind you of a rocket somehow?

Adorned on top by an excellent unison of technical, artistic and even musical qualities -- not to mention terrific performances from its main cast -- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is an astonishing achievement in open-world design. The new high watermark not just for RPGs this year, but perhaps any game of 2025.

This makes Bejeweled Twist easily the best in the series, and brain-consumingly addictive to boot. [Dec 2008, p.56]

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.

Keylocker proves to be a great entry to the JRPG genre and it has all the milestones that many games of the genre have. There are likable characters, minigames, amazing music and a compelling story to bring it all together.

As far as a baseball game, MLB 10: The Show is the best.

It’s truly impressive just how solid a game Ys: Memories of Celceta is. It has a lot of moving parts, and yet never once does it get lost in all its trying to do. Instead, all of its aspects feel polished, well-conceived and executed in tandem with a remarkable sense of precision. This is one of the Vita’s most prized RPGs, and realistically, one of its best titles.

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

Othercide may challenge you harshly, but it also adequately rewards your perseverance.

Final Fantasy IV is one of the best 16-bit RPGs with a strong story that holds up after all these years. Even though the turn-based combat and exploration with random encounters may seem simple compared to modern games, it’s still an enjoyable fourteen hour playthrough. This may not have been the remake everyone was hoping for, but Final Fantasy IV Pixel Remaster is a great version of a great game.

With Darksiders II, the franchise has cemented itself as an essential property among the likes of Devil May Cry and God of War. Even with the scale increasing in practically every area, the game manages to be less intimidating than its predecessor.

It’s a deep dark well filled with monsters and gems, equal parts platformer and reverse vertical shooter, and falling into its depths is the stuff that 1980s arcade dreams were made of.

Though it doesn’t navigate through every hairpin turn with perfection, F1 2013 still manages to cross the finish line with an impressive lead on its competition.

Capcom has not only recreated Resident Evil 2, but entirely redesigned it to be a bigger and more robust horror experience. The sense of dread and tension they created is unwavering throughout each of the six-hour campaigns. The choices they made only help expand upon the characters and the overall universe, along with making the gameplay a little easier for more people to survive this unforgiving world.

When Blizzard announced they were making a digital CCG, we all expected it to look and sound beautiful, and there was little doubt that it would be well-balanced, but I don’t think anyone anticipated this level of sophistication and subtle brilliance.

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.

Gorgeous, addictive and absolutely exploding with content, this is the ultimate Super Smash Bros. experience. Though the stage design tool is once again lacking and Smash Tour will be hit or miss for some, you’ll still be playing this for years to come.

Every little detail outside of this is a wonderful addition that helps create a world that feels like people actually live in, with Kamura Village being one of the biggest highlights in the entire franchise. Monster Hunter Rise is a must-have for Switch players looking to dive into the meaty action, delivering on an amazing experience that will last for some time to come.

Anyone with a taste for rhythm games in the style of Beatmania or DJMax needs to take Tapsonic Bold for a spin. Its killer soundtrack and tight gameplay make for a great combination for players of all skill levels. The massive amount of songs included in the base package is also far beyond what most modern music games offer. The developer’s continued updating of the game post-Early Access release also inspires confidence that they’ll continue to improve upon lesser aspects of the experience. Tapsonic Bold is simply one of the best pure rhythm titles you can get on PC.

Whether you’re a new fan looking to get into the series, or a veteran player wanting to revisit a classic title, Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition is a must-play for any RTS fan.

Goodbye Deponia sends off the series in the most profoundly memorable way. While there are some pacing concerns and minor technical issues here and there, these are overshadowed by the comical story and clever puzzle designs.

You don't have to be good at or even like on-rails shooters to enjoy it, and because it's such a frustration free experience, maybe it will even act as a great gateway game for the genre.

It may have resulted in a seemingly incoherent fusion of ideas and pixels, but at its heart, #IDARB is a classic sports game that will click with just about anybody, and the extra helping of random chaos will never cease to entertain.

Fans of the original Layers of Fear or any psychological horror game will truly enjoy Layers of Fear 2. The core and elements of the original remain intact and the cruise ship setting is an improvement over the original. The visuals and art direction will blow your mind as the cruise ship truly comes together when adding in the audio and horror element. The story takes a while to develop and it may not even be understood in the end depending on what ending the player gets based on the choices made in the game. Sure, the game is only ten hours, but it’s designed for multiple playthroughs. Besides that and some technical issues, Layers of Fear 2 is another horror masterpiece and improves on what the original accomplished.

While Children of Morta‘s surprising flexibility — without too comprising on the challenge of its gameplay — is one to take note of, it’s Dead Mage’s ability to find harmony with so many [figurative] moving parts that’s more impressive. Don’t let the tag or implication of hollowness throw you, Children of Morta — like Dead Cells before it — is an addictive, well-orchestrated and brilliantly-devised take on the roguelike template.

For fans of the comics and adventure buffs alike, The Wolf Among Us continues to assert itself as a must-play game.

The remake of Silent Hill 2 doesn’t surpass the original, but it’s still an admirable attempt. It succeeds at recreating the same tension-filled atmosphere with a sense of dread that only grows as James progresses in his quest to find Mary. The updates to the camera are a welcome change, and while combat has been improved, there are some aspects that are annoying.