Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1+2 provides a lot of value for players. The first four entries are top-shelf games, while the fifth is a slight dropoff and the sixth is a bigger dropoff, but still fun to play in short bursts. X7 and X8 are misfires, with a slight uptick in quality for the latter. As a complete package, there’s a lot to enjoy about the first six entries though and those games make the collection worth buying.

Still, it would have been nice to see a bit more treatment given to Dishonored: Definitive Edition, as this underrated gem is something that should be experienced by as many people as possible.

The Etrian Odyssey series has the first-person dungeon crawler genre down to a simple art. Players looking for a challenging title that will keep them coming back with every tiny improvement need look no further than Etrian Odyssey V.

Building on everything that was great about the original — from enemy variety to boss design to the means by which one can customize their play-style — Remnant II just about scrapes by with a follow-up that befits the mantle of “bigger, better, bolder” in numerous ways. The dangling and unfortunately noted caveat is the current performance at launch. The almighty saving grace however — and one that ultimately comes to frame Remnant II in more flattering colors — is just how significantly more rewarding the sequel feels compared to the 2019 original. Superb execution on art-style, level design and simply how one approaches the onslaught before them, though flawed in its more technical aspects, Remnant II‘s wealth of content, fulfilling challenge and broad expanding on the template it established more than makes up for its shortcomings.

MLB 15: The Show doesn’t bring any major additions to the table, but it does respectably tweak the most beloved modes to streamline the experience for pros and casuals alike.

Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate is simply one of the best entries the series has to offer. It opens up a slew of content without feeling overwhelming and gameplay is more varied than ever with tons to do every single step of the way.

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.

The Trine series is one of those that always offers an enchanting, beautiful 2.5D world to explore and challenges to overcome, and the fact the Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince continues this trend is no surprise. It always plays fair, making the player feel like a genius one minute and then utterly helpless the next. It packs plenty of highs, with satisfying moments galore, while offering a charming and family-friendly environment. One does wish that the story and the combat had more real meat, but this isn’t why the series exists. It does what it sets out to do and serves as a fantastic steward to Trine’s good name.

While the N. Sane Trilogy is by no means the perfect and/or flawless remaster fans and interested onlookers may have wanted, there's no denying that a lot of Vicarious' microscopic and macroscopic attention to detail alike is demonstrated sufficiently well in Crash's current-gen revisit.

Samorost 3 is a fantastic point & click adventure game, and a perfect sequel to the previous two.

A testament to the design philosophy that if an idea is good, it’s usually very good.

Overall, Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony is yet another excellent installment in the franchise, delivering up another set of grisly murders and the well-crafted conundrums and kangaroo courts that result from them while still keeping a focus on black humor and twisted school life. While it does suffer from a few bad apples in the cast and one of the most “WTF” finales in recent video game history, the gameplay has received enough of the right changes that it needs to make things more balanced and allow for some intense count sessions while still keeping you hooked on where all of this insanity is going yet again. One has to wonder where the series will possibly go from this, but for now, Monokuma has indeed gifted us with one more killing game that’s worth checking out.

Battle Chef Brigade’s gambit when it comes to its unorthodox blend of ingredients pays off well, resulting in truly stellar duels that reward combat skills, proper planning and strategy, with success not only delivering dishes to make one salivate, but also truly fun gameplay on all fronts. It’s one of the most unique games to pop up this year, making for an experience with a lot of charm and energy that is not to be missed.

Mayhem Brawler is a top-notch beat-em-up that delivers far more variety and fun than most entries in the genre. Even compared to heavy hitters like Streets of Rage 4, Mayhem delivers faster-paced action alongside a degree of stage variety that’s rarely seen. The diversity in the playable cast’s styles helps them each feel different, while the slick animation and comic-inspired art look sharp in-game and in cutscenes. The soundtrack is rock-heavy and good, but not on-par with the titans of the genre. The sound design, however, is strong and better than most other brawlers. Mayhem Brawler is a must-buy for anyone craving something that combines the look of Streets of Rage 4 with the faster feel of a Final Fight game.

Though the short run-time, on top of its overused hit-and-miss humor, may work against it, what Rhythm Sprout lacks in unique aesthetic or visual identity, it more than makes up for with a soundtrack as much a gameplay loop that’s both enjoyable and easy to make repeat trips back to. Frantic its drastic shifts in rhythm may feel at times, the game just about manages to maintain a sense of fairness and coherency throughout. Owed in part to the way tracks develop and evolve overtime, but so too how SURT themselves identify that any good rhythm game isn’t so much about keeping players in the zone so as to succeed, but keeping them there so as to potentially trip them up. That continuous string of mind-games, baits and other such devious means are part the reason why Rhythm Sprout is such a fun trek to partake in. A simple-enough premise, but executed to delightful effect.

Thirsty Suitors has well-crafted RPG mechanics and satisfying combat, but its gleefully wild and colorful style and superb dialogue and characters are truly its biggest strength. It’s the type of game where you find yourself tempted to try every activity possible, either to see a loving ode to South Asian cultures, a well-written character moment or both. It’s an inspired bit of lunacy that still has a ton of heart at its core, creating an emotional journey in the end that still has a lot of room for more humorous bits. Jala’s life may be a mess at the start of the game, but cleaning up the mess leads to a grand amount of fun.

Though its turn-based combat may end up doing most of the heavy-lifting, that Noname Studios have cleverly crafted something that’s both fleshed out and as appealing as it is, means Worldless still winds up a delightful studio debut. That something as well-established as a turn-based system can feel fresh and exciting all over again. Aided on top by the puzzle-like construction and re-framing combat as one to work out. One where the smartest moves are just as important as the strongest sort. Such is the variety and continued evolution on its premise, it’s enough of a strong showing that it relegates the otherwise less-exciting elements to that of minor frustrations. Out amidst its geometrically-abstract environments things may look ordinary and plain, but it’s thanks to its combat encounters where Worldless flaunts its creativity where and when it matters most. A premise that is not only interesting, but both challenging and stylish alike.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown - Mask of Darkness is what every expansion should aspire to. It introduces an interesting new story, new challenging environments and enemies, but doesn't stray too far from what made fans love the original. It's a few more hours of what can be described as more of the same, but that's meant in a complimentary way. The platforming challenges, nonlinear exploration and epic boss battles are why Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is such a great game, and fans can expect to see more of that in Mask of Darkness. Most fans will be able to finish it in around five hours or so, but the quality of that time is well worth the price of admission.

Shapez 2 is an automation game with just about all the rough edges sanded off, built to make creating what look like incredibly complicated layouts as simple as possible. It may take a little effort to sort out the best way to, for example, create a platform that maximizes stacking two items, completely handling two sets of four belts with no backing up, but then you save it as a blueprint and the tangle of conveyors and stackers is now another tool in the menu that can be laid down with a mouse click. White paint needs three different paints mixed together, two at a time, but create a single paint-mixing platform handling two fluids running at top speed, copy it to let the output of the first combine with the third color, then copy both platforms together and stack them three high, save as blueprint, and done! Handy as that is, though, the randomness of the shape deposits means you'll probably need to poke around hand-crafting solutions every bit as often as relying on your blueprints, and there's always a new challenge that requires retooling what you know. And then building bigger, as the little factory clustered around the entrance to the void grows to meet its ever-escalating needs.

Some gameplay elements admittedly don’t fit as well into the mold — the game, like any JRPG, occasionally getting too indulgent in its seemingly-obligatory padding out of time. Likewise, those who may have been quick to pick out the repetitiveness of mission structure prior may be disappointed to learn the sequel does little to shake up that formulaic progression. Even so, minor grievances aside, NEO: The World Ends With You — for all its flash, its flair and many a sing-a-long moment — does a wonderful job at encapsulating the original’s true strengths where and when it matters most.

NHL 14 won’t be headed to next-gen consoles, which is a shame as it would benefit from improved visuals, but even with the help of a new engine, it’ll be hard for another sports game to beat the sheer fun of this well-executed hockey game.

It's hard to talk about Fable III without heaping more and more praise on it. It's one of the best games of the year and one of the richest role-playing experiences to hit the Xbox 360. It begs to be played by anyone who appreciates a game that is expertly produced in almost every area.

Danganronpa is absolutely worth buying, but only if you’re a gamer who doesn’t mind reading 30 hours worth of dialogue, because this is a visual novel at its most basic level.

Treating the game on its own merits, the re-release of Persona 4 Arena Ultimax comes highly recommended. It has fun characters embarking on a fresh adventure in a new genre. The story can be padded, but it still scratches that itch. The most fantastic part is that this old game has systems and gameplay that still holds up favorably to modern fighting releases. There are few fighters that can boast that.

Tales from the Borderlands isn’t just a superb entry point into what appears to be a captivating story, it has the potential to be Telltale’s best work since the first season of The Walking Dead.

Not only is there isn’t a single bad game in Mega Man Legacy Collection, there isn’t a game included that isn’t great. Whether you’re someone who has beaten the core NES Mega Man games hundreds of times, or if you’re someone who has always been curious about one of the most heralded franchises in gaming, Mega Man Legacy Collection is all but a no-brainer.

Though not as almighty a step up as some of the more recent sequels we’ve seen, Gravity Rush 2 remains a fun and intriguing place to return to.

Chock-full of replay value, the added content makes this the definitive edition. Challenging, but rarely frustrating, Super Time Force Ultra is a strategic run and gun.