It’s a charming, charismatic adventure that will leave you with a smile across your face for the duration of your play.

What likely started out as an Xbox and/or Bethesda executive thinking “Hey, wouldn’t it be neat if we kept this game a secret and launched it during a special event?” has led to what could easily wind up as one of this year’s GOTY contenders exploding onto the scene in spectacular fashion. Hi-Fi Rush is classic video game action that blends amazing combat in a unique hybrid of genres in with memorable characters, a wicked sense of humor, terrific gameplay that’s accessible for all players and mind-blowing visuals and music. It’s an instant classic, even without the shadow drop, and delivers a candy-coated blast of chaos that conceals a clear labor of love and a weird purity to it all that you need to experience.

Baldur’s Gate III had extremely high expectations set for it and has exceeded them. Not only is it a contender for Game of the Year in a year with many exciting titles, but it’s a continued evolution of what CRPGs are capable of achieving, building upon the legacy of the original Baldur’s Gate games mixed with some of the more contemporary gameplay elements found in Larian’s more recent games. The result is a masterpiece of a game that raises the bar for the genre. Baldur’s Gate III excels in every area, from music to graphics to story to gameplay. It’s a difficult task to recreate the open-ended possibilities of tabletop gameplay within a video game, but this is arguably the best attempt at doing so to date. Baldur’s Gate III is one of those rare games that’s nearly flawless in its execution and should be experienced by every RPG fan.

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.

Wielding nothing more than a deck of cards and a poker-themed twist on proceedings, developer LocalThunk has conjured something incredible and awe-inspiring with Balatro. What starts as a relatively-novel twist on the deckbuilding format quickly blossoms into an experience that's equal parts methodical, experimental, chaotic but satisfying all the same. A game that rewards clever thinking, mathematical meddling and having the courage to be just that bit braver in uncovering just how far one can push its systems at play. Wherein success and failure alike stand as equally memorable moments to build off. A paradigm for what roguelikes and deckbuilders should aspire towards, Balatro is addictive, expertly-crafted and the new front-runner for what is easily the best gaming experience of 2024.

Stalker 2 is nothing short of a miracle. Developed by Ukrainian studio GSC Game World over the course of seven years amid a pandemic and a war -- among many other challenges -- Stalker 2 is a labor of love and the best type of sequel one could hope for. While many long-running franchises have strayed from their roots in an (often misguided) attempt to appeal to as many players as possible, Stalker 2 knows its core audience well and delivers exactly the type of game we were hoping for.

Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster is a masterclass in storytelling and gameplay, offering players an unforgettable journey through the Star Wars universe. Whether you're a die-hard fan or a newcomer to the franchise, this iconic first-person shooter is sure to leave a lasting impression and remind you why Star Wars continues to captivate audiences of all ages.

More importantly though, Mass Effect 2 is simply an amazing game from start to finish, regardless of the decisions you choose to make.

This quirky, spastic shooter has rightfully earned its seat at the Indie Game Round Table.

Elden Ring is one of the best games in years, with a breathtaking vast world to explore, and one of the most satisfying combat systems in an RPG. This is the accumulation of FromSoftware’s work over the last thirteen years and an evolution on its inspiring formula.

The Red Star is an amazing game; it's fast, fun, and loaded with variety. [July 2007, p.52]

There are so many ways to enjoy the game that don’t require you to put in a lot of hours with farming and socializing if that isn’t your thing. Instead, the many mechanics are loosely reliant on each other but have the opportunity to be robust. There’s so much about Moonstone Island that could make this review a year long, but we’d rather spend that time becoming the very best alchemist that ever was.

The incredible thing is how alive it all seems.

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.

The Wii U version of the title is practically the same as the other console versions, but unlike Wii U ports that originally came out months ago, it's possible that prospective buyers have still not purchased it. If that's the case, the Wii U version is as fine option as any, but those who have the game have absolutely no reason to buy it again. Still, forgetting its a port, Assassin's Creed III is the best game in the Wii U launch line-up and should be a must-buy for those yet to experience its incredible adventure.

A constantly-rewarding, brilliantly-structured and simply mind-blowing series of rug-pulls, Void Stranger isn’t just special, it’s a phenomenal showcase of what might be some of the best design in a puzzle game for some time. That on its own, the Sokoban-themed formula delivers truly clever, sneaky and genuinely-challenging ordeals that evolve, alter and ask more of the player. It’s what the game provides around and in-between such moments that in many ways, speaks to younger days of note-taking, theory-crafting and generally getting lost amid the spectacle put before you. Indeed, so long it’s been that a game has demanded all but the entirety of one’s time and so easily, but justifiably, received it. An enigmatic premise with just-as-sprawling a delivery, Void Stranger is a triumph and easily the year’s most engrossing gaming experience.

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.

Bravely Default is a flagship series in the making and worth exploring even for the uninitiated; its craftsmanship is simply too good a testament to the medium to pass up.

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.

It's exactly like Guitar Hero II for the PS2, but made even better by Microsoft's favorite son. [Mar 2007, p.58]

It features arguably the best story of the series that’s greatly enhanced by the added dynamic of three contrasting protagonists.

There's nothing like Mark of the Ninja on Xbox Live Arcade, and now, Steam. Others may taunt fast action stealth, but this is the true evolution of that concept with speedy and thought-provoking mechanics. Keyboard and mouse controls can take a while to get used to, but once you've got it down, you feel like a master assassin. Mark of the Ninja is a triumphant victory that is a must-buy for any and all stealth fans.

Mario has over thirty years of history behind him and yet Odyssey manages to mix those feelings of old titles with new ideas for a fresh take on a genre everyone is familiar with. Whether in it for a simple fun time or looking to play Odyssey to completion, there’s tons to be enjoyed by every player that will keep pulling them back for more. Mario’s trip across the world is one of pure, simple joy that simply shouldn’t be missed. Super Mario Odyssey is nothing short of a love story to the series as a whole and a title no Switch owner should be without.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is equal parts daunting, accessible, beautiful and hideous, but every aspect combines in such a remarkable way that it’s nearly impossible to not give it a sweeping recommendation.

There are times when you feel obliged to find faults no matter how minor, but in the ten-plus hours spent with Moon Studios’ latest, there are none. It’s a feat few studios can rightfully claim to accomplish in recent times but such a claim is more than merited for a game that nails all departments.

Doom: The Dark Ages is AAA gaming at its best, with huge set pieces and memorable moments around every corner of the beautiful environments that only add to the highly-polished and heavily-addicting gameplay. Id Software hasn't held back any punches in creating one of the most grandiose and large-scale games in recent memory, utilizing their big-budget funding to create a 100% user-focused experience that makes the player feel immensely powerful without forgoing a sense of challenge or difficulty. The classic Doom formula has been deconstructed and reformed into a techno-medieval bloodbath, with gaming's original one-man army going on an unbridled rampage of demon-slaying destruction that somehow tops the scale of the iconic franchise yet again.

Kentucky Route Zero manages to cover fascinating new ground with each act, and I can’t wait to see where it goes from here. More importantly, I can’t wait to see all the strange sights along the way.

It’s one of the most overwhelming experiences on the market, containing not only the best character development found in any RPG, but an open world that’s actually polished. The artistic and visual fidelity help with the immersion, but it’s the branching, player driven storyline and exquisitely layered combat system that create something special.