Videoverse is game that managed to hit me with the force of a truck in various ways, from the more subtle things like the in-game community’s reaction to a collapsing world around them to the parts that were more upfront, like Emmett and Vivi’s budding relationship. But even if you don’t have any emotional connections to similar online groups, what’s here is still an engrossing visual novel, one with a great story and a clever retro gaming world to explore. Videoverse is a definite highlight for the genre and one not to be missed out on.

The Last of Us Part II was a masterful game back in 2020. The haunting and emotional story, the morally-complex characters and themes, the blend of stealth and combat, the environmental storytelling, and the immaculate presentation all came together to deliver an extraordinary game that remains a conversation topic to this day. The Last of Us Part II Remastered is a reminder of the original’s excellence, and it’s a fantastic remaster that remains true to the original product, all while enhancing it in fantastic ways.

As far as the game itself is concerned, God of War Ragnarok could best be described as a safe sequel. Ragnarok focuses primarily on storytelling and big cinematic moments while refusing to take any chances when it comes to combat, exploration or other parts of the gameplay. This refusal to innovate sometimes backfires as there are plenty of moments when the narrative isn't strong enough to carry the rest of the game. God of War Ragnarok is mostly an enjoyable experience, especially when you include Valhalla as part of the package, but the sequel ultimately falls short in several key areas and isn’t nearly as memorable as its predecessor.

It feels like a dream seeing Bayonetta on PC, and thankfully, it’s no nightmare. While the frame rate is locked during cutscenes, everything else about the optimization has been done near perfect. Maxed out at 1080p60 is an easily achievable feat, even for older hardware, and the graphical enhancements only shed light on how well the visual aesthetics hold up so many years later. The controls are also done well for keyboard and mouse, so with the option of a gamepad, this is undoubtedly the best version of Bayonetta yet. As for the game itself, the story isn’t for everyone, especially considering how extraordinary deranged it is, and there are a couple of unforgiving combat scenarios. Fortunately, Bayonetta is still an alluring adventure that will hold a smile on your face until the credits roll.

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

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.

With a renewed focus on tangible gameplay improvements and general realism, this year’s iteration of the longstanding franchise feels like the best yet. Being able to execute more accurate dribble moves and jump shots is fantastic on its own, but hearing engaging and varied commentary at the same time makes the entire experience feel fantastic.

If you loved the first Geometry Wars, you're going to adore Geometry Wars 2.

Monster Hunter: World marks the beginning of even greater things to come in the future. It re-imagined the series from a wider perspective, while keeping the core of what so many players new and old will continue to enjoy.

It's faultlessly fun, both solo and multiplayer. If you're releasing a competing title later this year... well, it sucks to be you. [Vol 3, Issue 2, p.57]

If you’re looking for an example of how to create meaningful downloadable content that doesn’t feel exploitative, you’d be hard pressed to find a better example than Hearts of Stone.

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.

Around six months since Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 first graced our screens, Vicarious Visions’ reimagining of the famed skateboard series is still as fun, giddy and accessible as it always was. And with the game arriving on new consoles, though this may not be some astonishingly absolute improvement in all corners, the PS5 release especially still offers up noticeable improvements to the experience. Avoiding the peril of subtracting from such nostalgic appeasement, instead adding to it in a way that makes levels feel both original yet familiar all at once. But it’s through the added perks of its improved load times as well as the DualSense controller’s haptic feedback alike where Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 on PS5 results in an even more joyous revisit to one of gaming’s most cherished series.

Into the Breach shows that strategy games don’t need to do anything new because they can create some of the most memorable gaming experiences to be had if done correctly. Into the Breach is a game that is being played even when away from the computer, because it can’t help but fill the mind with possibility.

Set against the backdrop of a gorgeous Japanese aesthetic, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice combines what makes a From Software title special into an excellent, solid package that fans are going to love. Death may be a constant in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, but it’s worth getting up each time.

Tekken 8 is a bold direction in the fighter genre that ultimately leads to it being one of the greatest fighting games of all time. The amount of content that Bandai Namco is offering here is more than ever before seen in a fighting game.

The first Bayonetta is slowly showing its age, but its more robust sequel remains at the top of its game. It contains some of the best combat mechanics that are perfectly integrated in the most over-the-top, outlandish scenarios. It’s stylish, frantic and oddly addicting. Unfortunately, the story may as well be non-existent and the voice acting from characters such as the newly-introduced Loki will make you want to skip cutscenes. It doesn’t help when you hear the brat calling Bayonetta Love every second sentence and cussing every scene. Regardless, it’s all about the craziness that PlatinumGames usually brings to their games and they’ve hit it out of the park with Bayonetta 2. They refined the formula with the sequel, creating a top-tier action game that shouldn’t be overlooked. It may not be perfect, but this is a solid remaster that more players need to experience, and considering you get two games for the price of one, this ends up being an incredibly appealing package.

Alan Wake 2 is the perfect release for Halloween as it presents a psychological horror movie into video game format. Fans of the original title will thoroughly enjoy what this game has to offer as it keeps its core design while offering much deeper story content.

Neon White isn’t just a contender for the title of year’s best action game, but also a fascinating blend of genres, all mixed together to create a truly unique delight. The stellar level design, swift platforming and gunplay, and the terrific challenge in figuring out the optimal demon extermination route work together in harmony to make it a true heavenly delight, all set to a soundtrack that won’t be leaving the heads of players anytime soon. Neon White isn’t just a speedrunner’s delight, but a delight for any gamer in general, and it would be foolish to pass up something so sublime.

Ten years after its initial release in Japan, Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition has proven that sometimes classics can still get better with a little extra love and care to make them shine brighter than ever before as a true masterpiece.

Some of its flaws live on in this 3DS remaster, but ultimately The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D is a game that absolutely deserves three days of your time.

Monster Hunter World is a fantastic entry into the series and stands as a pinnacle of accomplishments for Capcom. Iceborne does everything within its power to improve upon that and does it fantastically. From the wide and varied amount of new monsters and sub-species, to the quality of life changes in the new village, Iceborne nails it extremely well.

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.

Go ahead and spend the points on this, regardless of if you have an older version, or even if you somehow haven't heard of Rez. [Spring 2008, p.60]

Demon's Souls knows that winning is something to be earned, and the satisfaction of living up to the challenge it presents is its greatest reward.

It Takes Two is thus far one of the year’s best platformers, best overall games, and can likely stake a claim as one of the best co-op games ever created. It merges a grand platforming adventure with sublime co-op play through a blend of perfectly-crafted challenges and jaw-dropping levels and setpieces that you need to share with someone close to you. It’s a triumph in almost every area, with such a wide range of expertly-executed ideas and gameplay concepts that it deserves to be called a true passion project in almost every sense of the word. You need to experience this as soon as you can, so grab a friend and prepare to be wowed.

While it may have, once again, fallen short of being a classic, it is a large improvement over the first game despite its numerous weak points.

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