Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together is a phenomenal strategy RPG, and feels like a breath of fresh air for a genre that's felt a little stale lately.

Pikmin 4 feels so much different than that with such an inviting urge to pull in new players to this world where they can be their own individual and be a part of the crew looking to save their friends and allies and work alongside these mysterious plant creatures to make it out alive. The biggest accomplishment of Pikmin 4 is the fact that it’s so packed full of fun that it’s hard to stop playing. This is not a title that should be missed out on by Pikmin fans or those who have been waiting to finally try it out.

Final Fantasy XVI will change what we think of the franchise moving forward. It’s groundbreaking on so many levels, elevating the thirty-five-year old series to new heights. The combat is highly engaging and invites creativity and experimentation by giving players a bevy of tools to play around with. The story is beautifully written, and although it takes nods from other fantasy properties, it builds its own unique universe to immerse one in.

This is the best these two games have ever played, and for those who haven’t played the titles before or returning players who can take advantage of the $10 upgrade, it’s the best way to play them. Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection might not be the shiniest of Sony’s remastered treasures, but it’s a treasure nonetheless.

Gran Turismo 7 is the quintessential Gran Turismo and the best of what the series has accrued over its 25 years of existence. The game is beautiful, detailed and fresh, powered by a detailed handling model that’s yet to be seen in racing games.

The Swapper is a wonderfully clever game that’s as smart as it is atmospheric.

Super Mario Galaxy remains one of the franchise’s shining points in the 3D era. While one can question the pricing structure for two 15+ year old games, there’s no doubt Nintendo has done a good amount of work adapting the beloved games to 2025. The visuals have been updated, with textures being reworked in a big way, there's a smooth framerate, and most importantly, a 4K resolution for those on a Switch 2. It’s how Super Mario Galaxy and its successor should be remembered. That’s on top of the Gyro controls being properly implemented to mimic the Wii Remote IR motion controls. If you somehow missed Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 all those years ago, this is the ideal and most complete way to experience it.

Every little thing is recreated in such a beautiful setting that it’s no surprise people would want to experience Koholint again, or perhaps for the first time. The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening is an unforgettable adventure, and this remake does it justice by capturing exactly what made it one of the most popular in the series.

With a world that is as intriguing as it is creepy, it becomes hard to put the game down. Getting wrapped up in the visuals, audio and puzzles is something that just happens as you play.

A dense and enthralling action-adventure game with a winding, if predictable, story that does make you feel like the Batman both inside and outside the Batmobile. There are too many Batmobile gameplay segments, however, making this predominantly similar in theme to that Batmobile-focused Batman arcade game.

Swinging across Marvel’s version of Manhattan not only looks good thanks to the beautiful lighting and attention to detail, but it has never felt so good either, being a relaxing and peaceful experience. Unfortunately, nothing is without its faults, as controls can be a bit finicky, and like all open world games, you’ll find occasional graphical anomalies. That’s not mention the side quests are a little lacking. This seems like a perfect fit to tell stories of lesser known or lower profile Spider-Man villains, but among the various side quests in the campaign, there’s only one that fits the bill. Regardless, Insomniac Games perfectly captures Peter Parker’s comical bravado, all while establishing a world ripe for its own unique expansion. In the end, Marvel’s Spider-Man is the most realized Spider-Man game yet.

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.

Destiny 2: The Witch Queen is a good expansion, combining an excellent campaign and raid with a decent content offering, even though not much of it feels exactly new. Destiny 2: The Witch Queen may not be the best overall expansion in Destiny history, but this queen sure does put on a good show while it lasts.

We’re getting to the point where denying the greatness of the Forza franchise is borderline ridiculous. The saddest part about Forza Motorsport 6 is that it will likely be brushed away by critics and gamers alike as a fantastic racing game rather than a fantastic game in general. Make no mistake, with all of its meaningful content and rock solid gameplay, Forza Motorsport 6 is one of the best games to come out in 2015, period.

Deathloop is another incredible title from Arkane, once again putting their skills in developing both quality stealth and first-person action to good use and blending it with time loops in order to create one of the year’s most memorable games. This is thanks in part to a clever twist that encourages exploration to its fullest in order to find Blackreef’s best mysteries and the most creative solutions to its puzzles.

There’s nothing that gets your blood boiling and your heart racing like a hardcore strategy-RPG with perma-death, and Fire Emblem Fates fits that mold to a T. It’s a shame that the overall experience is separated into three different packages, removing the significant choice near the beginning of the game in favor of what’s inside of your wallet.

Just about every Vita feature is fully utilized and combined they offer a unique and engaging adventure. Unfortunately, the adventure is quite short and the replayablity isn’t there. Once you finish the game and find all the collectibles, the only choices are to start over or move onto the next game.

Zack & Wiki is a brilliant use of the Wii's strengths, and easily one of the best games available for the console. [Dec 2007, p.66]

Though some elements haven’t aged well, the level design and music are still superb, and ultimately 3D Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is likely the best way to experience an irrefutable classic.

Instead of being content with slapping a new year on the box and updating rosters, SCE San Diego Studio continues to add numerous improvements that bring the series closer to feeling like the real thing. MLB 13: The Show is the most realistic baseball game to date and remains the sport’s premiere video game experience.

Psychonauts 2 is one of the year’s most enjoyable games and one of the best modern platformers of the past few years. The creativity in the visuals and level design is still on display at full blast, the story is superb and shows no fear when it comes to tackling mature subjects and the action is nice and intense, creating a perfect level of challenge.

Minishoot Adventures is a fantastic little game that deserves all the love it can get, and a great fusion of two genres that don't get to play together anywhere near often enough.

There are grand moments that will leave you enthralled, from the Knives Out-esque murder mystery to skydiving to one of the tallest buildings in Dubai. The environments are also a highlight as they’re not only a visual treat, but contain an incredible amount of detail that encourage creativity from the player. Unfortunately, there are hang ups that drag the experience down. The focus on the rushed story has taken a toll on at least two missions, while the CG cutscenes are awkwardly done. The decrease of Mission Stories down to between zero and three is a huge blow as they used to offer some of most entertaining ways in getting close to your target. The whole point of the Hitman games is replaying missions over and over again, but after completing one a couple of times, I felt like I experienced everything it had to offer, which isn’t something I had a problem with in the past. There are standout moments, but Hitman 3 just doesn’t have the same charm it did in the last two games, and the limitations only contribute to this. It’s more Hitman, but at the same time less of Hitman.

Though the first game in the franchise didn’t have a clear direction for itself, Dirt 2 is outdoor racing across various types of racing events tied together under a cohesive extreme sports presentation.

A Disgaea veteran who is interested only in the new content may find AoD to not be worth the purchase, but it's a must-buy for any PSP owner who's been yearning for an engrossing strategy RPG. [Nov 2007, p.58]

Raw Data is absolutely the game that every VR owner should play.

When everything comes together, Doom Eternal’s combat, mobility and levels combine to create one of the most satisfying gameplay loops and FPS campaigns in years. The Doom Slayer came, he sawed and he lived up to his reputation.

With individualized players, explosive tactical potential and unparalleled realism, PES 2016 redefines what a soccer game can be.