Plants vs. Zombies is a huge game with a great sense of humor, and while it tends to play itself once a strategy is completed and the field of fire constructed, putting it all together and experimenting with the possibilities stays fun for a long, long time. [Summer 2009]

The Uncharted franchise has been the spectacle of video games for fifteen years, meshing strong writing and characters with exhilarating scenarios. Granted, most of these scenarios aren’t particularly realistic, but that’s the whole point: you’re in it for the absolute absurdity of the events. Whether it’s escaping a crumbling structure while dodging fists and a hail of gunfire, or falling from a clock tower only with a couple of scuffs, it’s an overly-entertaining experience. The best part is now you’re able to experience all of this on PC where you’re able to control the level of detail, resolution and framerate. Iron Galaxy has done a magnificent job porting over two of Naughty Dog’s fantastic pieces of work, creating an even greater spectacle that fans can enjoy. Whether you’re new to the franchise or a long-time fan, the PC version of Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection only helps excel the franchise in a greater direction.

With new content, minor balancing and smart new formula tweaks, Drinkbox has managed to improve their already fantastic Mexican Metroidvania title.

Stardew Valley brings a mix of farming and life simulation to the Switch and the platform is absolutely perfect for it.

While the story feels rushed, and a couple missions could have been compressed into a singular one, Capcom has crafted a well-designed and finely-tuned structure that encourages exploration and experimentation.

Halo 4 isn't quite the revolution everybody has been waiting for, but it's on the right track. 343 Industries have done a superb job in replicating what fans love about the franchise while adding their own distinct style to it. With a meaty and well told single-player campaign, multiplayer that will keep gamers engaged for months, if not years on end, and a bustling community to engage with, Halo 4 is an immeasurable value that will not disappoint.

An exceptional expansion that unfortunately refuses to take any risks.

Bloodborne: The Old Hunters is a solid add-on to an already outstanding game. While it fails to try anything new and is relatively short, the bosses make this something worthy of trekking through, especially for existing fans.

Injustice 2 is nearly everything you’d want a sequel to be. It’s bigger, badder, and filled with more content than a typical fighting game has at launch. Players will have lots to do as they strive to master the 28 playable fighters through the Multiverse, online multiplayer and local versus matches. Then there’s the Gear system, which gives players infinite ways to customize and outfit their characters. Still, it’s not a perfect sequel. The story treads water in the middle and NetherRealm still hasn’t found a way to make to make the battles not feel contrived, hampering the excellent beginning and end of the game. It’s also difficult to shake the feeling that the Gear system was only introduced as way to facilitate microtransactions. Even so, Injustice 2 sets a bar for the amount of content and depth a fighting game should have at launch. With a strong roster, lots to do, and a combat system that can be enjoyed by new and masterful players, Injustice 2 is the hero we deserve.

Pragmata is a heartfelt experience not only about the human experience, but also parenthood. While we never truly see Hugh grow into anything more than he already is, it’s his genuine interactions with Diana and teaching her all about the amazing things Earth has to offer that really defines him as a character. His interactions with the curious and childish Diana are the best parts of Pragmata, and while the story is somewhat predictable, it will pull on your heartstrings from time to time. On top of that, the combat is pleasantly varied, with the numerous types of weapons at Hugh’s disposal and a decent number of enemies, ramping up as the story progresses. Diana’s hacking mini-game mid-combat is also a breath of fresh air as it adds a layer of strategy needed in a somewhat traditional third-person shooter. While Pragmata has its issues, it’s a solid, highly engaging adventure that’s difficult to replicate.

Ghost of Tsushima is one of the best samurai games of all time and the Director’s Cut only excels it further. Sucker Punch Productions’ work on reimagining thirteen century Japan is a grand achievement, creating a captivating world filled with an exceeding amount of things to do, while implementing an engaging, memorable combat system.

The Witness is a game that can easily cause players to eclipse the one hundred hour mark and the vast majority of that time is going to be spent engaging with hundreds of brilliantly designed puzzles. While it won’t have the industry-shifting impact that Braid did in 2008, The Witness will influence video game puzzle design for years to come.

It will take at least another year for the game's full depth to be discovered. [Issue#35, p.44]

The single player campaign once again feels tacked on. It’s more like a glorified eight-hour long tutorial, training players for multiplayer by throwing them in tanks and planes rather than telling a cohesive story. In the end, it’s the multiplayer that matters most, and Battlefield 1 excels at giving players the Battlefield experience they love in an era they probably won’t be all that familiar with.

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.

Unfortunately, not everything new works. Some of the new story elements feel out of place with the overarching story and tone, and quite a few of the many hours feel like padding. When the story, combat and characters come together, however, Final Fantasy VII Remake captures the magic that makes Final Fantasy special. Final Fantasy VII Remake is just the beginning of this new journey and it’s already off to a great start.

Without a doubt, the raft of online features elevates Black and White to the height of pre-3DS Pokémon greatness. This is the biggest game in the series, and brings a wealth of tertiary additions that fans have been asking for.

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

There's just the right mix of story and gameplay, with a couple of cool twists thrown into both for good measure. [Sept 2007, p.69]

Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition is simply a fantastic fighter. Street Fighter V featured outstanding fighting mechanics upon its original release, but felt like a bare bones husk of a game that was rushed out the door incomplete to capitalize on the eSports trend. Street Fighter V Arcade Edition fills in the negative space and delivers the fighting game experience it should have been in the first place.

At the end of the day, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 feels less like a true game of the series and more of the spin-off that it is, trading the methodical and tactical pacing of the franchise mainstays for a more fast-paced and action oriented shooter.

Drawing heavily from classic RPGs of past console generations, Sea of Stars creates an exciting new adventure that’s also a worthy tribute to the classics. It proudly flaunts its influences but does so in a way that pays homage to them. The original story and characters are entertaining and engrossing enough to keep the roughly thirty hour playthrough enjoyable. The story does rely on genre tropes at times which leads to predictable moments, but given the nature of this type of game, that’s to be expected. Sea of Stars doesn’t break any real innovative ground, but does a great job of combining so many elements of older games into a modern take on the classic formula. As such, it’s a title that should be enjoyed by any fan of classic turn-based RPGs.

Aside from the lackluster co-op and slow start, Astral Chain is one of those rare games where it’s difficult to say anything bad about it. The story and world building may fall short of the masterpiece that was NieR: Automata, which also involved Astral Chain director Takahisa Taura, but I dare say this is the best combat action in a Platinum Games title to date. The dual control of one of the Howard twins and the Legion in an innovative twist in battle and makes combat as fun to watch as it is to play. The exploration and detective work make The Ark a world that I wanted to protect from the Chimeras. Astral Chain is one of the best games of 2019 so far and may even be remembered as one of the greatest Switch exclusives.

Steins;Gate is one of the best visual novels on the market.

Crypt of the NecroDancer is a phenomenal dungeon crawler.

With easy-to-pick-up controls and stunning graphics, Fight Night Round 4 is a fantastic experience with plenty of replay value and tons of unlockable content to keep any boxing fan busy for months.

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance stakes its claim as the definitive version of the original and sticks the landing. It changes what needed to be fixed and keeps what worked intact. While it doesn't go too above and beyond what was before it, that by no means makes Vengeance anything less than great. The original was one of 2021's best RPGs and now Vengeance can claim a high spot among 2024's best and brightest. It's a hardcore, fantastic and rich experience that should be on everyone's must-play list.

Pokémon has been a classic series for twenty years and with 2016 being its 20th, Pokémon Sun and Moon is a perfect way to celebrate such a milestone. It still holds all the charm and fun from the original titles yet creates an entire new world to explore. It’s a must-have for fans and a worthy place to begin for newcomers. The future of the Pokémon series shines bright like Pokémon Sun and beautiful like Pokémon Moon.