What I've been experiencing since first putting this game in my Wii is the culmination of several lifetimes of game design mastery by its creators. [Dec 2007, p.40]

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

Whether new to the series or a long time veteran, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is the perfect balance of challenge, adventure and fun that shouldn’t be missed out on.

Rockstar has created the single most immersive Wild West game yet, with an intelligently-written story, a compelling core cast of characters, highly-engaging scenarios and a diverse open world to explore. The visuals are also truly stunning, with a substantial amount of detail put into each environment and character model, not to mention the extraordinary lighting techniques.

More than just a gimmick, the first-person mode really does change how it’s experienced by adding a new layer of gameplay. It won’t be for everybody, but the sheer fact that the option is there is commendable. More still, multiple new vehicles, weapons and animals have been introduced. If none of that were enough, over a hundred new songs have been added to the already robust radio stations.

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 incredible thing is how alive it all seems.

BioShock has a surprisingly deep and vivid storyline. It doesn't just throw you a few curveballs; it refines how stories are told in gaming. [Nov 2007, p.50]

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is one of the most polished, most intense and most entertaining pieces of software out on the market.

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.

Finally, console owners get to experience the entire "Half-Life 2" saga without having to load games off of several discs or tweak their PC just to get a decent framerate. [Dec 2007, p.58]

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

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a love letter to Breath of the Wild in the best kind of way and is well deserving of anyone’s adventuring spirit.

It feels like an important evolutionary step in presentation and tone, presenting a believable narrative populated with realistic characters, structured in a way that remains captivating until the last word is spoken. Multiplayer is disposable and combat can feel a bit rudimentary at times complete with balance issues, but being perpetually enveloped in the stunning world Naughty Dog created makes it easy to forget any flaws.

Persona 5 Royal is a shining beam of light for the JRPG genre and one you won’t want to put down despite its massive time commitment.

This is one of the best console ports in recent history, as it manages to fully capture the spirit of the original while improving upon it in nearly every way.

Team ASOBI has yet again cracked the code of delivering an experience that’s fun, rewarding and nostalgic all at the same time. With nostalgic callbacks, vibrant worlds and welcoming gameplay, there’s truly something for everyone in Astro Bot.

Vengeance may not be what Kratos seeks anymore, but that has done little to stop the God of War franchise. Santa Monica Studios have successfully transplanted the Ghost of Sparta to a new world with a new mythology and given the formula the revamp it needed.

Hades 2 is one of those games that perfectly encapsulates the best traits of its genre and manages to cleverly work around its harshest weaknesses. It’s the kind of project that has so much passion to all of its details that it’s worth coming back for more every single time. Whether struggling against the odds or acing it quickly, the experience will stay with you as long as you don’t give up and pay attention to everything it has to offer.

One of the Gamecube’s best and possibly one of Nintendo’s best, Metroid Prime Remastered is a brilliant enhancement to what was already an all-time classic.

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

Simply put, Celeste is a tour de force. A piece of work that will no doubt go down as one of the year’s best platformers or even just one of its best games in general. Between the immaculately crafted levels with a wide variety of challenges, the intense gameplay that rewards crackerjack timing, the sheer amount of post-game content and things to discover in every chapter, and a moving, amazing story in the form of Madeline’s urge to climb the behemoth that awaits her, what we have here is truly magnificent and an experience that simply cannot be missed. And hey, word has it that the view from the top is amazing.

Persona 5 Royal was already a remarkable victory lap for Atlus, but the remaster helps the RPG shine brighter. It’s well worth revisiting the 100-150-hour adventure, and being this is now made accessible to a lot more players, this is a fantastic jumping in point for those new to the game or the franchise.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition takes a nearly-perfect game and makes it better. Nothing about this title really needed to be changed, which makes it even nicer that the developers took the extra effort to implement various quality-of-life improvements in addition to giving it a graphical facelift for the current console generation. Given its compelling story, fantastic dialogue writing and incredibly fun gameplay, it was arguably the best game released in 2015. This new update does nothing but improve upon a masterpiece. The improvements to graphics and gameplay are enough solidify Complete Edition as the definitive version of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

ATLUS and Studio Zero have crafted a rare gem of an RPG, much like years before. Outside of a few dings here and there, Metaphor: ReFantazio is a near-perfect game that rivals that of Persona 5. The rich fantasy elements are matched with spectacular gameplay, gorgeous designs and captivating storytelling. It’s been a fantastic year for RPGs with Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth leading the way. But now, Metaphor: ReFantazio proves there’s a new king on top and one that will hopefully reign supreme for years to come.

Halo 3 is the combination of a thoroughly decent singleplayer campaign, a great multiplayer component, and absolutely incredible enhancements to each. [Nov 2007, p.52]

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.

If this were 15 years ago, I wouldn’t have to write 2,000 words explaining why Street Fighter is awesome, but since we’re here, stop reading this review and, for God’s sake, go out and buy this thing.