There’s a lot of bottled magic in Blue Prince, and it reminds me of the best reasons why fantasy still captures hearts today.

Unforgettable characters, sky-high stakes, nail-biting action, and impeccable pacing make The Last of Us Part I a superlative gaming experience in every possible sense.

Capcom’s latest takes everything you’d expect from the father of the fighting genre and turns it up to 10. There’s something for everyone here, with no fat or filler to ruin the experience. Street Fighter 6 is the best fighting game experience in a long time, and in the years to come, its impact and legacy could be every bit as massive as Street Fighter 2.

Dead Space is a shot-for-shot recreation of the original that manages to recapture the 2008 game as you want to remember it — meaning it’s actually better than ever.

Every time I’d get to a new layer, I’d immediately ignore the story objective and spend a half dozen hours just smashing things around like a toddler in a sandbox.

It’s a game that manages to honor the series’ legacy, while simultaneously pushing it in a new direction, and it might just be the best Silent Hill to date.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 isn’t just a great RPG, it’s a generational one — and picture proof of the power of how a team’s clear passion, when used just right, can be used to create something transcendent.

Xenoblade Chronicles X isn’t a game for everyone. It doesn’t have the kind of guided story a lot of RPGs do, and its dense systems can be a lot to digest. But it’s a game with a wholly unique vision, and only gets better the more time you put into it. It’s hard to think of a bigger high note the Nintendo Switch could be going out on.

I knew The Gold Saucer was going to be a big moment in Rebirth, but nothing could prepare me for the cacophonous performance that broke out when I entered the gilded theme park: dazzling holograms, gyrating bodies, and a healthy dose of Terry Crews-esque Pec Popping. It was just one of nearly a dozen moments that had my jaw on the floor.

I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a game that manages to capture the very feeling of the word ‘resilience’ quite the same way. And that applies to even the gameplay experience of methodically learning the systems and improving. I can easily see Lumines Arise being one of those yearly games for me, the select few I play through as a kind of comfort pick. And I guarantee you’ll find your own something out of it too – even if I can’t say exactly what that’ll be.

I simply can’t imagine not seeing Chai and 808 again, whether it’s in another game or some kind of animated spinoff. As triple-A gaming starts to feel more homogenized each year, Hi-Fi Rush is a stark reminder of how this industry was built on taking chances and experimenting. It’s a gutsy move from a developer known for only making “spooky” games, but it’s a gamble that’s clearly paid off.

Forza Motorsport is one of the best accessible surprises in 2023. Turn 10 Studios’ dedication to disabled players is tangible as soon as one starts the game. It’s beyond refreshing to finally have a racing title that physically disabled individuals can confidently purchase knowing they will be able to successfully complete every race. And as the industry continues to acquire new accessibility knowledge and improve upon itself, Forza Motorsport should be viewed as the beginning of a new accessibility era.

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon is an utterly unforgettable experience with satisfyingly crunchy combat, a fascinating narrative with surprising twists, and deep customization for mech-heads. If this is the future of Armored Core, then the future is bright indeed.

More than anything, my time with Astro Bot is dominated by one word: surprise. There were moments that had my jaw on the floor, moments I cackled with glee, and even one or two where may have shed a tear. Astro Bot is everything that I love about video games — the potential they have to cause wonder and excitement, self-reflection, and, most importantly, fun.

Even if its dream is often a nightmare, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is one of the most compelling games I’ve played in years. As a puzzle game, it’s already a triumph, but the meditations on art and bold aesthetic choices elevate it to the level of a magnum opus as grand as the artwork at the heart of its story.

If Doom Eternal is a cheeseburger and fries at In-n-Out, then Halo Infinite is a steak dinner in the big city with an overpriced bottle of luscious red wine. It is buff grandpa showing the young hotshot how it’s done because he invented the game.

Tears of the Kingdom handily exceeds the sky-high expectations surrounding it. It’s an instant classic — and a testament to the unmatched ingenuity of Nintendo’s game design.

Great art isn’t about trying to speak to the largest audience. It is about selflessly tearing pieces of yourself off and sending them into the world to be seen by others — with no guarantee that anybody will resonate with them. It is the desperate hope that while your experience is personal, others will accept you for who you are and what your art says. The openness of HFTGOOM is an exercise in radical healing for someone who has gone through Ann’s experience of being forced to close themselves off.

Playing Baldur’s Gate 3 is an exercise in wonder. How could anyone manage to make a game of this scope, execution, and quality? It’s thrilling, it’s emotional, and it’s incredibly wacky, all at the same time. The sense of freedom and reactivity is unlike anything I’ve played for years, maybe even ever. and all of that is only heightened by a world that feels simultaneously whimsical and horrifying. Baldur’s Gate 3 is a game we’ll be looking back on for years to come.

Split Fiction is a generational work. It’s brimming with creativity, tells a resonant story that reflects the current state of the world, and is a sincere love letter to genre fiction that has inspired so many of us.

Like the island it’s set on, every part of Sephonie works in concert for the good of the whole, making it one of the most profoundly moving games I’ve ever played.

This isn’t just Dark Souls with an open world tacked on. Instead, developer FromSoftware weaves its familiar formula into a massive playground so expertly that we can’t help but wonder how we ever played Dark Souls without it.

Ys X: Nordics doesn’t exactly feel like an evolution of the prolific series, but more of a sidestep into something new and different. I’m not sure if future games will look like this, but that’s honestly Nordics’ biggest strength. It simultaneously feels faithful to the franchise and bold and new, all at once. It certainly stumbles here and there with story and the visual variety of its world, but it’s a robust seafaring tale full of rebellious spirit — just like the pirates that inspired it. It’s already been an absurdly busy year for RPGs, but I hope something as stellar as Ys X doesn’t get lost beneath the waves.

You can't outrun the sheer horror of existence, but Jett: The Far Shore lets you try. Its heavy narrative is a perfect complement to its exhilarating gameplay.

Paranormasight is brilliant and subversive, toying with expectations and tropes across genres. The final product is entrancing — and it doesn’t loosen its death grip until the very last second.

Mortal Kombat 1 is a love letter to everyone that’s grown up with the series, while still inviting newcomers to join the fight. Its a ‘best of MK’ compilation — that brings a few of the series’ missteps along for the ride. But it wouldn’t be Mortal Kombat without a bit of jank, right?

If you’re looking for something that fits the cozy game formula, Wanderstop will probably leave you disappointed. It offers none of the satisfaction of building and expanding that the genre typically does, instead opting for a more ephemeral sense of accomplishment. But where the endless demands in farming games can make them stressful to play in spite of their friendly facades, Wanderstop left me feeling at peace like no other game has. Wanderstop asks you to let its stories unfold slowly and find joy in work done for its own sake, and I couldn’t be happier to oblige.

As someone that thoroughly enjoyed my 200 hours with Fire Emblem: Three Houses, I never expected Three Hopes to meet, let alone surpass that experience — but it does. Three Hopes’ systems all coalesce into something truly special, and the war-driven story allows the world and characters to shine their brightest. Though it could do with less padding, Three Hopes represents Koei Tecmo firing on all cylinders, and it’s easily another title to add to the growing list of essential Switch games.

Despite some sluggish pacing near the beginning, Triangle Strategy is nearly everything I could have asked for from a new tactical RPG: a massive story filled with politics and intrigue, dynamic choices, a complex battle system that puts your skills to the test, and a gorgeous art style filled with unique touches. It’s a triumphant return to the genre for Square Enix and one that shows a bright future for the developer’s HD-2D style.

Unicorn Overlord’s story may not have thrilled me, but I still can’t recommend it highly enough to strategy fans. Every time I found myself longing for more character depth or a less predictable story, those critiques were washed away by the next hour-long battle pushing my strategic abilities to their limit. It’s hard to focus on shallow character dynamics when every brain cell is focused on developing the perfect set of tactics to pull off a clutch victory, after all. The sheer joy of leading your army to victory through nothing but clever planning is hard to overstate, and I’m convinced it will make Unicorn Overlord a new classic of the strategy genre in years to come.

Like a Dragon: Ishin absolutely revels in the Yakuza series’ weirdo humor, but that’s only one half of the equation. There’s also a genuinely dramatic samurai story sizzling with tension. Ishin has some of the best storytelling the series has ever seen. The only thing holding it back is a convoluted combat system that takes a while to find its groove.

Sable lacks the same level of polish as Breath of the Wild or other AAA open-world titles. But as an indie game made by a small team, Sable is an unforgettable adventure that can elicit a deeply personal connection to the player.

The Lunar games are steeped in the ideas of the era and time they were made, and because of that, retaining the original vision is essential. I’m glad developer GungHo realized that for this collection, and I’m even happier these games can finally be played without hunting down an ultra-rare copy and dusty console.

Horizon Forbidden West is the latest in Sony’s prestigious run of polished first-person exclusives. As the sequel to 2017’s acclaimed Horizon Zero Dawn, the bar is set high for Aloy’s next adventure. The first game debuted in an era before exclusives like God of War, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and The Last of Us Part II broke barriers in gameplay accessibility. In 2022, Forbidden West has a much higher standard to meet, and for the most part, it’s a resounding success.

There are times you can feel Dragon’s Dogma 2 groaning under the weight of its own ambition, but the sheer confidence of its unfaltering vision keeps it surging forward.

Escape Academy offers a truly unique experience that provides the player with a sense of discovery that’s difficult to compare to any other game. I have a new itch to scratch, and now no other game can satisfy that. I’ll have to go book an escape room.

There isn’t anything like Metal: Hellsinger. Diehard metal fans will no doubt fall in love with it instantly, but the overall experience is satisfying and compelling enough to serve as a gateway into the metal genre for newcomers. It perfectly embodies the passion, energy, and emotion that all metalheads share.

It’s not perfect, but it is memorable in a way that’ll have me playing its ending song on repeat for weeks. This game gave me such an adrenaline rush that I was able to pull my first all-nighter in months without an issue. If Special Agent Date’s powerup is a porno mag, this is mine.

There’s something for everyone in Live A Live, a deliberate blast from the past that draws from Final Fantasy IV as much as it does 2001: A Space Odyssey and Shane. You’ll love some sections more than others, to be sure, but the way it all ties together is nothing short of spectacular.

Last Defense Academy is indulgent in every sense. It’s filled to the brim with complex characters and systems, an absurdly deep story, and wild new art styles and gameplay twists. Kodaka and Tookyo Games know the exact kind of player they designed this game for: the sickos who revel in the off-the-wall absurdity, complexity, and violence of games like Danganronpa. It doubles down on its bizarre ideas instead of making concessions to appeal to a wider audience, and it’s better off for it. You’ll need to commit to Last Defense Academy to really see it through, but if you can, you won’t regret it for a second.

Despite being an Among Us naysayer who mostly wrote off the original as a bit childish, I’ve been transformed into a diehard Crewmate by Among Us VR, a must-play virtual reality experience that vastly improves upon the original in every way. [Meta Quest 2]

With Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Respawn has crafted one of the most memorable Star Wars experiences of the last decade. If you’re a fan of a galaxy far, far away, you can’t miss this one.

Naturally, fans of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and classic beat ‘em ups will get the most out of Shredder’s Revenge, but that shouldn’t stop you from playing if you can’t recite the theme song from memory. Even for non-fans, you can beat the game in a single afternoon and have more fun than you will in most 50-hour open-world epics. If you’re looking for a new multiplayer game, Shredder’s Revenge is a must-play, thanks to its stellar combat and upbeat tone that makes it worth revisiting levels again and again.

The transition from saucy, mature action game to a family-friendly puzzle platformer is pulled off with surprising style and sincerity. 'Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon' is the perfect sweet treat to convince lapsed fans the series can still be something special.

There isn’t anything like Stray. Sure, you’ve probably played puzzle-platformers set in dystopian cities before, but Stray’s cuddly protagonist gives this game an edge. It’s quirky, intuitive, expertly paced, and one of the most enjoyable games of 2022.

This remake is one for the ages, and that’s whether you remember playing Dragon Warrior 2 on a little CRT television three decades ago or whether you’ve never even touched the series in your life. And there are decades of games and history to dive into if you can’t get enough.

I could actually see myself replaying Dawntrail in its entirety just to pore back over this adventure and look for missed details and re-experience the highs and lows. That’s a first for me, nearly a thousand hours in.

Age of Mythology: Retold is exactly what a remake should be — not just bringing something classic to a modern audience, but meaningfully changing and upgrading it for that audience. It’s stunning in nearly every way, and a clear sign that real-time strategy games still have a bright future ahead.

This remake is clearly a labor of love made by developers who were influenced by the classic game. Gemdrops managed to enhance everything great about Star Ocean 2 while still retaining the aesthetic and feel that was so essential to the original experience. The main narrative still feels a bit slow and underdeveloped at times, but so much has been improved that it hardly matters. Star Ocean The Second Story R truly sets a high new benchmark for how to remake classic RPGs.

Back 4 Blood has the best water-cooler moments of any game released in 2021.

There’s untold satisfaction found in fine-tuning your economy and constructing the perfect siege defense — seeing the whole thing basically run itself at a certain point.

Whether this is your first step into Trails, or you’ve been with it for over a decade, Daybreak is a definitive RPG experience that can proudly stand with the best.

Kunitsu-Gami, in many ways, feels like a game from a bygone era. It’s reminiscent of one of those weird experimental PS2 titles, like Okami, that would go on to become beloved cult classics. The brilliantly inventive mish-mash of strategy and action is immediately fun, but only grows more complex and delightful as the whole game progresses...This, coupled with Kunitsu-Gami’s entrancing art style and story, makes it one of Capcom’s best games in years, and that’s really saying something. Kunitsu-Gami’s sheer ambition blew me away, and the way the game consistently innovates upon its own formula is something other strategy titles should take notes from. No matter how you look at it, this is one you don’t want to miss.

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty is one of the best uses of the spy thriller I’ve ever seen in video games, and the difference between this expansion and the base game circa 2020 is staggering. I certainly didn’t expect to be saying Cyberpunk 2077 is now one of the must-play experiences of 2023, a year already packed with dozens of incredible games.

With Dragon Quest 3, it really feels like Square Enix has cemented itself as the king of remakes and remasters. From Final Fantasy 7 Remake, to Star Ocean 2, and now this — Square Enix has consistently shown why remakes can be meaningful and the role they play in the larger ecosystem of video games. Dragon Quest 3 isn’t just a rehash of a tremendously influential RPG, it’s a chance to really reinforce why this game was so important in the first place. That creates a bridge for new fans to get into the wide world of Dragon Quest while honoring the lasting legacy this game has left...But more than anything, it’s proof of why this franchise has endured for decades — Dragon Quest 3 is a chance to step into an enrapturing fantasy world where fears and worries melt away, and where the hero really does save the day. Good prevailing over evil is a simple joy, and that’s the beauty of it.

Psychonauts 2 is one of the best games of 2021 — and the best ones Double Fine has ever made — so play it and make sure this becomes a bonafide classic, not a cult classic like its predecessor.

If you have a soft spot for arcade-era classics like Guilty Gear, Marvel vs. Capcom, or Street Fighter III, then Type Lumina should definitely be on your radar. But if you plan to play online, there’s one big catch you should be aware of.

Homeworld 3 is one of the most entrancing experiences I’ve had with a strategy game in years, and proof that the single-player RTS still has an important role to fill.

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is a fantastic duology that visual novel and mystery fans will love. It’s also a great starting point for newcomers in the Ace Attorney franchise. With strong writing and deep, yet fun characters, this bundle will keep you engaged for every minute of its 50-60 hour runtime.

It’s almost impossible to find copies of many Tales games today, and Bandai could’ve simply ported the game to modern platforms and been done with it. But Tales of Xillia Remastered is the best version it can be, a hidden gem polished to a sheen. RPG fans shouldn’t miss it.

The truly staggering achievement of Trails into Reverie, however, is that it manages to bring some true catharsis and poignancy to nearly nineteen years of connected storytelling, something that no other video game series in existence can claim.

With Fantasian, it’s clear that Sakaguchi wanted to take a hard look at the key games that have defined his work, namely Final Fantasy VI, and find a meaningful way to advance his craft — to create something that can appeal to both the old guard and brand-new fans. In my mind, he and Mistwalker have wildly succeeded in that endeavor, creating one of the defining RPGs of modern gaming. It’s an enthralling experience that reminds me why I love video games so much and simultaneously makes me excited for where they can go in the future.

Splatoon 3 oozes charm and style at every level, and the level of polish here makes it better than ever. If Nintendo provides good post-launch support, it’s easy to see a time in the near-future when Splatoon 3 is the single best multiplayer experience on the Switch. Considering Splatoon 2 received support for nearly two years, and Nintendo has already revealed a roadmap for Splatoon 3, it seems likely that we’ll all be covered in paint for quite a few years to come.

When Xenoblade Chronicles 3 wasn’t bringing a smile to my face, it was breaking my heart over and over again.

The latest installment of Square Enix’s decade-spanning series gets its hooks in you immediately and never lets up. The stakes are consistently high, the scenery is always breathtaking, and the combat system is nothing short of fantastic— whether you’re battling bees on a sidequest or chipping away at Titan himself.

Indiana Jones and The Great Circle is tremendous. It is a worthy new chapter in the chronicles of film’s greatest archeologist and one of the year’s best video games.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure is an incredibly strong RPG with phenomenal pacing, characters, and combat, but it also relies so much on the player’s connection to the previous game. I can’t in good conscience say anyone should play Trails to Azure without first playing Trails From Zero, but that’s exactly what makes the experience so special. The duology of Zero and Azure revels in sequential storytelling, building a convincing world filled to the brim with personality and political intrigue.

I can’t think of a single other game that lets you manage museums, and it’s baffling it hasn’t been done before now. Two Point Museum clicks within minutes of taking control, and it only grows more captivating with time. It delicately strikes a balance between complex and approachable, and it’s genuinely hard to imagine how Two Point Studios can improve on its formula from here.

Death Stranding 2: On The Beach may not be for everyone. But if it is for you, it's one of the most enjoyable games of 2025, a must-see follow-up that is more cohesive, refined, and fully developed than the first.

I played Hades 2 and Absolum back-to-back, and Absolum feels like the perfect chaser.

Far Cry 6 does not disappoint. It didn’t just make me fall in love with it, but it made me realize what was so wrong with its predecessor.

Endwalker may not outdo the previous expansion, Shadowbringers — a high point for the entire Final Fantasy series — but it ultimately has very different aims. Even as it ends the game’s first story arc, it has me looking forward to what’s next. For all its lofty ambitions, this operatic conclusion to a decade-long story peaks when focusing on how its core characters keep each other standing, even as the world falls down around them.

Somehow, this irreverent hilarity and overwhelming brutality is a match made in heaven. Medieval warfare is terrifying, but it’s also inherently absurd. Bring us more of it.

The sequel utterly revels in the absurdity of its satire on capitalism, government, authoritarianism, and individuality – even if it takes a bit longer to get situated than the first game.

This historical murder mystery isn’t what you might expect from Obsidian Entertainment, known for first-person action RPGs like The Outer Worlds and Fallout: New Vegas, but there is still importance placed on building your character and choosing how you experience the world. It explores the societal, theological, and artistic beliefs of one town during a time of rapid change, and it does so with a beautiful art style unlike anything else in video games. Everything about Pentiment feels as carefully designed as the illuminated manuscripts it draws inspiration from, delivering an enthralling mystery that is a wonder to behold.

It’s the longest game the series has ever seen, and the most “Yakuza” Yakuza game imaginable — in the best way possible.

Onimusha 2 is the kind of game that the blockbuster side of the gaming industry feels like it’d be averse to these days, an ambitious sequel that completely leaves out everything the first game did, and keeps players in the dark. Even all these years later, I’m still blown away by the sheer gutsiness of the game, and in this case, I respect the choice to simply use this remaster as an update and not alter anything about the core vision of the game. If anything, I hope choosing to bring Onimusha 2 back in this way serves as inspiration for Capcom to re-embrace the series’ sense of experimentation as they revive it with Onimusha: Way of the Sword. At the very least, experiencing Onimusha 2 again all these years later has solidified in my mind — it’s one of Capcom’s biggest unspoken masterpieces.

We’ve seen Metroidvania games like Hollow Knight nail the formula in recent years, but Metroid Dread proves there’s nothing better than the franchise that started it all.

Trails From Zero is an exceptional JRPG that feels like it’s cut from the same cloth as the golden era of the genre when games like Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy VII were released. Its deep and complex narrative has a strong sense of mystery and isn’t afraid to dive into tough topics, all of which make the setting of Crossbell feel that much more realistic. An integral part of this experience is the translation work from the fan group The Geofront, and it’s easy to see how the success story of Trails From Zero could serve as a blueprint for bringing even more forgotten JRPGs to the West.

This is the most approachable Pikmin to date, with satisfying gameplay systems that will appeal to a broad variety of players.

Resident Evil 4 mixes high-octane action, thrills, scares, and cinematic moments that exemplify what this series does best. If you never played the 2005 original — or any Resident Evil game at all — this is a great place to start.

Signalis is a masterful recreation of classic survival horror. Mechanically, it ticks every box that the genre requires. Yet this indie gem shines in how it evolves the formula, both mechanically and narratively for more modern audiences. Developer rose-engine pushed beyond the boundaries of a simple homage to create something that stands on its own as the best horror game of the year.

The story of Granblue Fantasy: Relink certainly doesn’t rank among the RPG greats, but its combat is so phenomenal that I can’t stop playing it anyway.

Avowed is a concise and tightly designed RPG that never sacrifices the ambition of its grand adventure.

Ninja Gaiden Ragebound is one of those games you finish and it feels like it’s gone by in the blink of an eye. While there can be some frustration in difficulty spikes, by and large it feels like a perfectly-paced experience that manages to find that sweet spot: not too short, but not too long. But nearly every minute of its six-ish hours is sublime...I can see myself going back to Ragebound for years to come — popping in for a replay every now and again, because it simply feels that good to play. While Ninja Gaiden 4 is still on the way, Ragebound makes a bold statement that the series side scrolling legacy still holds plenty of promise. Ninja Gaiden is back, and hopefully it’s here to stay.

Every element of Shinobi works in concert to make for a relentlessly gripping experience, and I think it’s legitimately fascinating how the game takes elements from so many different places to make something new. It’s like if you took Metroid, Ninja Gaiden, Hollowknight, and Street Fighter and threw them all into a blender, but the mixture actually turns out delicious...It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a Shinobi game, but by all accounts, this feels like it could be the start of a new franchise for Sega. That mix of platforming and fighting elements is intoxicating, and it feels like it’d be an actual crime to not see more of it.

Call of the Mountain succeeds where so many other ambitious VR projects stumble for one reason — it keeps it simple. Core mechanics like traversal and combat have a generous margin of error, and can be customized extensively depending on your appetite (or lack thereof) for a challenge. This keeps the focus on immersion and exploration, rather than fiddling with finicky button inputs and timing.

Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp leans into the toybox aesthetic of the series, giving the first two games a gorgeous new coat of paint, along with several welcome gameplay updates. If you’re a fan of strategic, turn-based gameplay, don’t sleep on this one.

Dead Rising was always an underrated masterpiece in my eyes, but with this remaster it feels like it has the polish to be truly deserving of that title, and the streamlined approachability means it can appeal to an entire new generation of fans.

Intuitive, responsive motion controls successfully recapture the easygoing magic of the Wii’s heyday, and will likely make Switch Sports a family game night staple and chart-topper for years to come.

A Space for the Unbound is a brisk 15-hour story that is full of surprises and potent emotional beats. While it doesn’t offer much in the way of replayability, it’s a hugely memorable experience nonetheless.

More than anything, Wilds feels like an experience, a grand journey filled with a shockingly emotional story, bombastic hunts, and jaw-droppingly gorgeous vistas. It’s an adventure that tries, and mostly succeeds, in making sure that you’re having fun at all times.

Overall, it feels like Z-A has made a definitive statement about what the “Legends” games are able to aspire to – a way for Pokémon to get weird and experimental alongside the main games. Looking back, that’s the most compelling part about Z-A: the promise it holds for the series’ future and the steps it takes to do something different. So even if Z-A isn’t everything I wanted it to be, it’s a world I dearly enjoyed getting to live in.

Kratos and Atreus’s latest adventure will tick a lot of boxes for fans of the 2018 game. But some odd narrative choices hold it back from joining the immortal pantheon.

Like most hero shooters, the key to Gundam Evolution’s success is going to be how well Bandai Namco supports the game, and whether post-launch content can keep up a steady cadence of adding interesting new content. Still, Gundam Evolution has gotten the most important piece of the Overwatch formula right, making each hero feel distinct and providing interesting interactions between them. What that means is that Evolution should appeal to any fans of the genre, even those without any knowledge of Gundam whatsoever.

Echoes of Wisdom proves that even after nearly 40 years, The Legend of Zelda still has room to surprise us... Echoes of Wisdom feels like the Zelda-fronted game I’ve been waiting decades for. I only hope this isn’t her last turn as the series’ star.

There’s something for everyone here. For Marvel fans, it's chock-full of crowd-pleasing Easter eggs and fan service. For nostalgic arcade junkies, it's an absolute blast to play through, and it looks and sounds damn good the entire time. Marvel Comics Invasion is the definitive Marvel beat ‘em up, and one that will be well worth revisiting as many times as we did its arcade forebearers 30 years ago.

Firmament is a magnificent achievement in visual worldbuilding that I’m still thinking about weeks later. I’m already back in the Realms, looking for Easter eggs I may have missed the first time. My desire to learn more about Firmament’s story is a testament to Cyan’s ability to make players care about fictional worlds, and its shorter runtime and smoother puzzle mechanics make it the most approachable game in the company’s history, as well as a perfect primer for the puzzle adventure genre at large. I truly hope Cyan keeps making worlds like this for decades to come.