Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake is an incredible reimagining of the original two games that keeps the core of what they were in the limelight. You have a stunning world redone and put together with the utmost care and respect for the fans. It's the perfect way to hop into the series if you have missed these games the first time around or have been on the fence about giving them a shot. They maintain their challenging nature from the original release, with a nice amount of quality-of-life changes that seem minor, but add to the experience, bringing them to another level, feeling more like a modern release due to these changes. From the first game, forcing you to be the lone hero, taking on the role to protect the land he holds dear. To the second game, where your party looks to take on the role of their ancestors and protect their people from the threats terrorizing the populace. These are incredible games, filled with character, charm and challenging gameplay, and they're absolutely worth playing in this new and enhanced release.

It's a great game and worth a try if you're brave and/or a masochist. [July 2007, p.64]

While the flow of battles are definitely slower by today's gaming standards, the strategic depth is still far better than most games released today. [Nov 2007, p.60]

Pokémon X and Y makes the classic series feel brand new.

It’s rare to see a game with stunning visuals and excellent gameplay, but Ori and the Blind Forest does exactly that. As long as you’re prepared for a serious challenge, then this is one game not to miss.

Though an occasional lack of polish and size for size’s sake approach doesn’t always prove beneficial, a brilliant assortment of puzzles nestled amidst a thought-provoking but compelling narrative still grants The Talos Principle II status as a sequel well worth the near-decade wait. That Croteam can inject a surprising amount of smart designs into their puzzles, as much they can demonstrate a commendable level of maturity as to the writing and choices provided in their tale, proves that even after all these years, the team’s talents across an array of departments remains untainted. And in the sequel’s case, stronger than what came before. Mechanically and narratively stimulating throughout, The Talos Principle II is an accomplished follow-up that just might eclipse the 2014 original.

This is the best kind of portable game, the best kind of adventure game and the best kind of sequel.

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.

Metroid Prime 4 may still be years away, but make no mistake that MercurySteam and Nintendo’s latest incarnation of Metroid has made the strain of such a wait not just more bearable, but potentially no longer existent. Sure to please longtime fans and general Switch owners/newcomers alike, Metroid Dread more than delivers on a climax two decades in the making.

Super Mario Maker 2 is still heavily about the creation process, but adds great new features that make it even more enjoyable than ever before. This makes it much more of a title built for creators and players than its predecessor, even if building is still the key element. Super Mario Maker 2 is full of tons of things to do and endless levels waiting to be made. This is a must-have for fans of Mario and all of those who may have missed out on the original. It’s a creator’s dream come true with the amount of tools available and an all-around great way to enjoy Mario levels made by fans for fans. Super Mario Maker 2 improves all the core aspects that made the original fun and it hopefully lasts a good long while to see all the fantastic levels that come of it.

The Stanley Parable is many things all at once, and all of them are clever and fun. It’s a story made of stories, an exploration of the limits of freedom in gaming, a battle between narrator and narrated, and a giant self-referential meta feedback loop.

Despite a slightly forgettable middle and a few characters being given a rushed ending, Same Stitch is a fantastic finale for Batman: The Enemy Within, as Bruce Wayne and John Doe’s uneasy alliance comes to an explosive and constantly surprising conclusion.

Guacamelee! Gold Edition only helps to enhance the rich, fun, free-scrolling action platformer by strengthening the visual art style and adding a bevy of Steamworks features.

As far as single player goes, I think nothing will capture the initial highs you got from taking in Rapture for the first time, and the enormous twist the original delivered. However, the sequel's story is just as intense and has its own narrative highs and a mean twist of its own, and I think the end payoff is a bit more impactful and sinks in better than the ending of the first BioShock.

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.

As far as single player goes, I think nothing will capture the initial highs you got from taking in Rapture for the first time, and the enormous twist the original delivered. However, the sequel’s story is just as intense and has its own narrative highs and a mean twist of its own, and I think the end payoff is a bit more impactful and sinks in better than the ending of the first BioShock.

Civilization VI takes all of the elements from the Civilization franchise, improves on them and produces one of the most unique games in the series. It innovates heavily without removing any elements that players have come to expect.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is still, after all these years, the prime example of Paper Mario at its very best. Its writing is still funny, its characters are quirky and fun in ways that they just aren’t in other Nintendo games, its combat is simple yet deep enough to stay interesting throughout and it’s a visual and aural treat thanks to all the enhancements made by Intelligent Systems. The improvements made both in and out of combat also go a long way towards making the game shine even more than it already did. Sure, the extra tutorials can be annoying for longtime fans, but otherwise, this new version does the original justice and makes it an even more worthy addition to any Switch owner’s library.

This is about as casual as a tower defense game gets and seems to have been designed for the individual that found Plants Vs. Zombies too complex. However, while this is a fairly basic and simple tower defense game, sometimes you can find brilliance in simplicity, and Castle Doombad comes very close to achieving just that.

An excellent conclusion to Blizzard’s trilogy. While one can get impatient with the familiar mission structure, it’s impossible to argue with the excellent faction balance and action.

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

Legion injects excitement into a game that for the past year has survived on being better than most. With the addition of features such as Artifact Weapons and cinematic story driven content, World of Warcraft’s sixth expansion raised the bar back to where it should be while at the same time adopting ideas that will take it into the future.

And for a game that will take thirty to forty hours for non-completionists with three scheduled DLC expansions, keeping the game interesting is extremely important, which thankfully Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire has no problem doing.

Aside from just being one of the best indie platformers or retro throwbacks in recent memory, it’s easily just one of this year’s best games, period. Aside from playing like a dream and having flight-based gameplay that’s an absolute delight, it evokes the old quote of “You’ll laugh, you’ll cry” through an absolutely astounding and moving story with several lovable characters and a fascinating world to discover.

The Talos Principle: Deluxe Edition is a fantastic package of two great first-person puzzlers.

While Mouthwashing has an incredible story and nicely disturbing and surreal visuals that could make it worth checking out, the shallow gameplay sadly hinders it, with dull puzzles, annoying chase bits and repetitive bits weighing it down. The twisted tale of the Tulpar is captivating, but if you're in the mood for a quick horror title, you can likely do better.

Although it’s told through the lenses of cute cuddly woodland creatures, Night in the Woods‘ narrative themes of isolation and insecurity are nothing to shake a stick at. Despite its pitfalls Infinite Falls’ story about the declining heartland touched me more than any game has any abject right to.

Nioh solidifies the status of roguelikes and their relevance in today’s gaming landscape. Never in my countless hours with the game did Nioh feel like the knock off Bloodborne it might look like at first glance. Instead it enhances and develops the genre in new and interesting ways, building and adding a fresh layer of varnish on a previously-established framework. Although it doesn’t carry its charm completely in its later stages, developer Team Ninja deserve a mess of credit for making a game that goes about enhancing a beloved genre without tarnishing the work it’s emulating.