Super Mario 64 showed us the possibilities of 3D platform gaming more than 20 years ago. Now, Astro Bot: Rescue Mission is finally here to do the same for VR.

While drawing heavily from the lineage of Dragon Quest Builders, Pokémon Pokopia successfully translates the inherently complex creatures and systems of Pokémon into a cohesive gameplay loop, reconstructing the overall experience into something with the relaxed, leisurely pacing reminiscent of Animal Crossing. The Pokémon models are charmingly rendered, and the distant scenery showcases the capabilities of the Nintendo Switch 2. With the potential to become a long-beloved staple title for the platform, it also represents a breakthrough in how the Pokémon IP can be approached, resulting in a game with a uniquely impressive level of polish and accomplishment.

Breath of the Wild’s concept was described by Nintendo as “creating a game through multiplication”, but after playing The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, its predecessor almost feels like a prototype. Not only are the amount of possibilities that Tears of the Kingdom’s level of multiplication offers so much more diverse, its field was designed to put those into practice to a much greater extent. Never before was the vast land of Hyrule packed with this amount of well-designed gameplay. Without a doubt, this is the best game in the series.

With gorgeous visuals and well-thought-out level design, God of War Ragnarok’s magnificent tale has the potential to reach out to many people. It utilizes next-gen hardware to the maximum to create an experience that only a videogame can offer.

Incsryption is a deck-building roguelike game with a great metafiction scenario. Even the deck-building and roguelike elements are just part of what this game makes you think it is, as the game’s structure keeps changing as you progress. This continuous change of style makes you feel like you're playing a very special game, and it will keep you excited throughout the experience.

While boasting an overwhelming amount of content, not once did the world of Elden Ring feel tedious. The game’s level design is simply astounding and its map is filled not with chores but with a magnificent sense of adventure. While the fundamentals of the battle mechanics are borrowed from Dark Souls, the speedier flow of action and additional freedom in customization of equipment, items and magic allow you to fight your own way. The story is more dramatic and easier to follow than in previous FromSoftware titles. This and many more features make Elden Ring a marvel of a game that could become a serious threat to the balance of your daily life.

While the essential component of repeatedly hunting monsters remains the same, the action elements have been refined with the introduction of the Wirebug and Switch Skill systems, and even monsters from previous games offer a fresh hunting challenge. The new Rampage mode, where the player must battle multiple large monsters at once, offers a stunning balance of difficulty and variety.

Cyberpunk 2077’s biggest achievement is Night City, the most fascinating city in videogame history so far. While the combat outside of the main story does sometimes feel a little repetitive, the way it encourages the player to interact with the everyday lives of the inhabitants of this bustling city results in a roleplaying experience in the truest sense of the word. The game towers like a skyscraper in the Western RPG genre skyline.

Starfield’s vast universe is home to unique planets, factions and characters and offers a wide array of choices. It allows you to become whoever you want to be, and savor both the light and dark sides of the universe the way you want to. Starfield doesn’t only improve on Bethesda’s previous games, but gives birth to an entirely new universe that is the company’s best open-world RPG yet.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is packed with well-crafted content, and unlike its predecessor, none of it feels like filler. While Cloud’s new and unknown journey isn’t finished just yet, Rebirth already delivers an emotional story that could have only been achieved with a remake. While a small amount of the minigames can be tedious, from exploration to battle, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is a top-notch experience. It delivers a surprising amount of quality, quantity and diversity in its content, to the extent that there pretty much isn’t anything like it.

Hi-Fi Rush is a rock-themed masterpiece rhythm-action game. Its combat makes you feel like you’re performing on stage, and its wholesome story is exhilarating throughout. In 2023, there is simply no rhythm-action game that we could recommend more.

Touhou Luna Nights could almost be classified as a Metroidvania game. However, it has become something of its own by eliminating many elements common in the genre. By getting rid of these elements, the essence of the Touhou DNA becomes more obvious, resulting in a masterpiece that couldn’t have been made if it wasn’t based on the Touhou Project series in the first place.

Who would have thought that a collaboration with Monster Rancher would bring out the best of Ultra Kaiju’s long history and potential as a video game? It utilizes Monster Rancher’s unique systems to show sides of kaiju you would have never imagined. For the Monster Rancher series this is a major comeback. It learns from past mistakes to create a system that matches modern standards.

Ghost of Yotei excels in design that speaks through experience rather than spectacle, with its flashback system seamlessly connecting story and exploration as it shifts between past and present. The field prioritizes density over sheer size, making even detours feel like an integral part of the world. The narrative, while framed as a single tale of revenge, gains depth from the presence of factions such as the Matsumae clan, the Ainu and the Six of Yotei, giving the stage more weight than the previous installment. While combat is still centered on the sword, Yotei introduces a wider variety of weapons, with mastery sequences that heighten its polish. Rather than finding flaws, one is overwhelmed by its craftsmanship and overall quality.

This remake pays the utmost respect to the original, and successfully brings a classic story that depicts human weakness into the modern era. It also brings back the fun of classic survival horror with a nerve-wracking over-the-shoulder combat system. It is a masterpiece that should serve as a benchmark for future installments in the Silent Hill series.

After delivering the cult-hit Detention, Taiwanese developer Red Candle Games presents its next psychological horror adventure, Devotion. While making the jump from 2D to 3D, the superb presentation and storytelling remain intact. A 1980s Taiwanese condo is faithfully recreated in 3D to the extent that you can almost detect the odour. And while bringing together various art styles in one game, Devotion manages to tell a consistent story as well.

As one of the best 2D action games to date, Dead Cells is a game people will be talking about for a long time. A true masterpiece.

While its core stays true to the Monster Hunter series, the newest installment gets rid of all the unnecessarily troublesome and complicated mechanics. The result is a game that marks a new start for the series.

Although the online functions could have been better, the unique and satisfying combat styles of Nero, Dante and V greatly contribute in evolving Devil May Cry 5 to the next level. While gaining a more photorealistic look thanks to Capcom’s RE engine, the stylish action we have come to love from the series is better than ever.

Déraciné has a fantastic atmosphere and wonderful storytelling. It utilizes VR and PlayStation Move to create a type of interaction not seen in other games. The innocence characters show to the player add a warm and friendly feeling to what is already a fascinating adventure game.

Anyone can pick this up and be moved. Florence is universal art.

A fantastic campaign mode, a VR mode so great that it should go down in history, and so many other aspects make Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown an incredible package. However, it helps to be familiar with the series in order to savor its greatness.

Kirby Star Allies is a culmination of the series' history. It is packed with Kirby love.

The Red Strings Club is a game with refined dialogue and sublimely implemented choices. It sets a new standard for story-driven adventure games that can be seen as literature.

Insomniac Games’ take on Spider-Man is not only packed with fan service and love for this iconic character, it’s also one of the best superhero videogames to date.

CrossCode is a stellar game that mimics an MMO, but solves the repetitive nature of that genre by turning it into a single-player action game, utilizing the genre’s lyricism in a magnificent way.

Though its mechanics are not always well explained, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 offers a timeless tale of adventure and an incredibly deep battle system.

A fresh new gameplay experience with breathtaking photorealistic yet surreal visuals, Death Stranding provides an experience that goes beyond the usual boundaries of videogames. Future developers may draw influence from the game’s redefined concept of terrain and its traversal.