13 Sentinels is still one of the most unique gaming experiences of recent years, and the way the game’s disparate stories come together is truly something stunning. There are few games that manage to pay homage to so many other sci-fi series, while also doing something unique all its own, but 13 Sentinels manages it. The Nintendo Switch version is a stunning port that doesn’t make any compromises, and it’s the perfect sci-fi story for the handheld console.

Deathloop playfully bends the rules of its genre, thanks to being steered by the steady hands of the people who helped write those rules in the first place. Action-stealth games tend toward homogeny, but Deathloop wisely forces you to play smarter — and feel smarter as a result.

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.

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

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.

Immortality is the antithesis of the belief that games are an art form, as its lofty attempts to establish prestige are built upon the language of another medium entirely (cinema). It relies on the spectacle of the project alone and not the substance, leaving an empty shell confident in but not convinced of its own self-importance.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Neva ultimately feels at odds with itself, trying to be too much at once. Its combat and platforming are competent, but not enough to carry the game on their own. Neva’s story seems to be reaching after pure emotional appeal and a more concrete tale at once, but landing awkwardly between them. While the sense of Alba and Neva’s connection is enchanting at first, the game loses focus on their relationship as it wears on. Even its stunning art — the best part of Neva by far — is stuck halfway between some of the most gorgeous depictions of nature I’ve ever seen in a game and less successful dives into surreal yet sparse environments. Maybe I’m being cold-hearted, but even its adorable wolf cub couldn’t keep me interested for long. Neva has its moments when everything briefly clicks, but in the end it takes a half-step in too many directions at once.

Tales of Arise is a triumph in almost every way, delivering a strong narrative, well-developed characters, and combat that feels snappier than ever. This is the next step in the evolution of the Tales series, and the future looks awfully bright.

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.

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

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.

Sunbreak is exactly what it needs to be: modern and fluid enough to attract new players, and tough enough to keep veterans coming back. Stick with it, and you'll be rewarded for your effort. If you're seeking a quick, low-stakes fix of fun, however, you might want to look elsewhere.

The follow-up to Mario Kart 8 was always going to have a tough time trying to fill its predecessor's shoes. But Mario Kart World does just enough to establish itself as its own distinct and still fun entry in the series. From its joyous presentation to the new depth of its accessible racing, Mario Kart World succeeds in living up to the Mario Kart name despite remaining firmly in the shadow of what came before it.

Persona 3 Reload is one of the weakest video game remakes I’ve seen in the last few years.

In its combat and tricky platforming sections, The Lost Crown is mostly a blast. The problem is that it’s surrounded by dull exploration, frequently underwhelming bosses, and enough small frustrations to keep it from greatness. I’m baffled at how little it dives into its unique frozen-time premise, because the moments where it does are the best parts of the game. The Lost Crown’s high points are enough to recommend it to anyone looking for a good action platformer, but if you want a game that scratches the itch for satisfying exploration, you may walk away disappointed.

Bayonetta 3 delivers on its promise of a magical action RPG with sophisticated combat. Even with frustrating mini-games and objectives, it’s one of the best action games of 2022 thanks to its style and depth — whether or not you’re familiar with this absolutely bonkers universe.

Easily one of the most jaw-droppingly gorgeous games I’ve ever played in my life, Ghost of Yotei is a sequel that makes a strong first impression, and makes a handful of meaningful improvements over its predecessor. But as a sequel, it lacks a bit of the novelty that Ghost of Tsushima had, and while many elements of Yotei are objectively stronger, just a bit of its shine wears off after a few dozen hours of formulaic open world design.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.